Family Portrait
by BananaKingCharlie
Summary: The sequel to "Jenny Comes Home" Each chapter is a short story following the adventures of Jenny, Jethro, and the twins with appearances by the whole team...Reviews Welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. I don't own NCIS, or any of th characters. No copyright infringement intended, I just like to write!**

Each Chapter will be a short story, highlighting the adventures of the Gibbs Twins, and of course Jenny and Jethro!

Reviews are always welcome!

Jenny rolled over in bed, and almost slid off the white satin sheets. She wasn't at home. She had to remind herself of that. She was at the Winston Churchill Hotel with Jethro. It was the day after their wedding. She hadn't wanted, or needed a honeymoon but Ducky had insisted. Her children were fourteen months old, and she hadn't had a night to herself since they had been born. Ducky had offered to fly them anywhere, even Paris, but Jenny had flatly refused.

Instead, she had booked a suite at the Churchill, and that's where she and Jethro would stay for one more night. She and Jethro had decided that a weekend away was a nice compromise. Getting a grip on the slippery sheets Jenny turned to rub Jethro's back, and she found the bed empty. There was a note on the pillow. Jenny reached for her reading glasses and found them on the nightstand. Even before the events of last night Jethro had insisted that they read from the Bible, as they did every night before bed. Having twins had brought out a side of Gibbs that Jenny had never seen before. Gibbs was home by seven most nights, and he doted on his children, and wife.

Jenny picked up the note and read it, "Gone to get coffee, love your husband." Jenny laughed as she set the note back down on the pillow. Jenny took advantage of her situation and removed her glasses. She settled back into bed and buried herself under the covers. Sleep was at a premium lately, and any chance to nap, or just relax was a welcome treat. Jenny drifted off into a light sleep, and only stirred when she heard the sound of a key in the hotel door.

Jenny could smell coffee and cologne. Her husband had returned. Jenny sat up in bed as Jethro rounded the corner from the sitting room into the bedroom. He had two large white cups in his hand.

"One coffee for my wife, and one coffee for me." Gibbs said as he handed Jenny her coffee, and she happily accepted the cup.

"Thank-you husband." Jenny said with a giggle. She liked saying the word "husband" and she loved that when she said it she was referring to Jethro.

"You look good." Jethro said smiling.

"Why thank you Jethro." Jenny said it honestly. It was a welcome compliment.

"For the first time in fourteen months you look well-rested. " Jethro said simply.

"You're probably right about that…what time did we finally go to sleep last night?" Jenny asked, as her mind flashed back to the wonderful memories of the night before.

"I'll never tell." Jethro said with a smile.

"Oh so it's top secret?" Jenny asked

"I'm afraid that if I tell you there won't be a repeat performance." Jethro said as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you." Jenny said it as she leaned in and kissed Jethro passionately.

Their kiss was long and sweet, and Jenny was hoping it would lead to other things when they were interrupted by her phone ringing. Jenny broke form the embrace and turned to stand up.

"Leave it." Jethro said with a heavy sigh.

"I can't it's Ducky." Jenny said, recognizing the bagpipe ring tone she had customized especially for Ducky's phone number.

Jenny got up and headed over to the desk. She picked up her phone. Much to Jenny's surprise she had a picture message from Ducky, not a phone call. Jenny clicked the touch screen and selected "open photo." As the image popped up on the screen Jenny giggled. It was a picture of Jackie and Luke sitting on the couch in Ducky's parlor. Jackie was holding a sign that said "Good" and Luke was holding a sign that said "Morning." Jenny laughed and handed her phone to Jethro.

"I can only assume Ducky is having fun with the children." Jenny said as Jethro smiled at the photo of his children.

"Ducky and half of NCIS." Jethro added, handing the phone back to Jenny.

When Ducky had insisted Jenny and Jethro take some sort of honeymoon Jenny had objected on the basis that there was nobody to watch her children. Ducky had said that he would happily take the children for a weekend. Jenny still objected because Ducky had to look out for Mrs. Mallard and two young children, it just seemed like a recipe for disaster. Ducky wasn't willing to back down, so he had recruited Team Gibbs to camp out at his place for the weekend, and help with Mrs. Mallard and the children. Ducky's house was plenty large enough and everybody got their own room, it was the perfect arrangement. Ducky had finally cornered Jenny and Jethro one evening, and he did make a good point, five adults and two children, it seemed like it would work out well. Ducky had even invited Jack Gibbs to stay and visit, but he had insisted on getting back to Stillwater so he could manage his store.

Jenny set her phone back on the desk and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Jethro said, still sitting on the bed, eagerly anticipating Jenny's return.

"Oh I was just thinking to myself that Ducky's house must look like some sort of resort right now." Jenny said it with a smile.

Much to Jethro's relief Jenny headed back to the bed kissed him. They spent the rest of the day doing what all newlyweds do. At six Jenny began getting ready. They had dinner reservations in the main dining room at seven thirty. She wanted to look especially nice, and she spent an hour doing her hair and make-up. She smiled as Jethro lay in bed sleeping. He looked so cute when he slept. Jenny was only slightly jealous that he could be ready in five minutes. His neatly pressed suit hung in the closet, and all he had to do was run a comb through his hair when he woke up.

Once her hair and make-up were done Jenny slipped on her black cocktail dress. The finishing touch was of course, the pearl necklace Jethro had given her. She checked herself once more in the bathroom mirror and decided that she looked good enough. Jenny gently ran a hand through Jethro's hair as he slept. She hated to disturb him, but it was almost time for dinner.

"Wake up darling!" Jenny said in an excited whisper.

Jethro stirred from his sleep and mumbled something incoherent.

"Your suit is in the closet." Jenny said simply as Jethro stood up and stumbled to the closet.

Ten minutes later the happy couple was seated at a quiet corner table in the main dining room.

"You look amazing Jen." Jethro said with a smile.

"You look so handsome; I love your hair like that." Jenny said smiling back at her husband. Jethro was wearing his hair slicked back. He reserved it only for formal occasions, and Jenny loved how distinguished it made him look.

"Thank-you Jen." Jethro replied.

Suddenly their waitress appeared; she was a young girl with blond hair and green eyes, most likely working her way through college Jenny thought to herself.

"Hi my name is Alli and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Would you like to start with some wine tonight?" The waitress asked happily.

"We'd like to look at your wine list please." Jenny said with a smile.

"Here you go." The waitress replied as she handed a small leather bound book to Jenny. Immediately she flipped to the section with the red wines. She and Jethro both loved red wine, and she scanned the offerings quickly. She already had a few ideas in mind. Much to Jenny's surprise she found exactly what she was looking for.

"We'll have the Chateau Moton 2002 please." Jenny said as she handed the wine list back to the waitress.

"Lovely choice. The sommelier will be right out with that Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs. In the meantime I'll put in the appetizer order, what would you like?" The waitress asked as she pulled out her notepad.

"I'll have the Caprese salad please." Jenny said. Caprese salad from the Winston Churchill was one of her favorite treats and she was thrilled to be able to order it.

"I'll have the crab cake please" Jethro said. After enough security details Jethro Gibbs practically had the menu at every upscale hotel in Washington D.C. memorized.

"Good choices, I love the Caprese salad too. I'll get the orders put in for you." Alli explained as she walked away.

Jenny and Jethro chatted as they waited for their wine. They talked about everything, but mostly how much they loved each other, and they both agreed that their wedding and reception had been beautiful. They were both surprised that the twins had behaved so well, especially late into the evening.

"I can't wait to get the pictures back from the photographer." Jenny commented as a man in a dark suit approached their table, and he was carrying a rather large bottle.

"That must be the wine." Jethro said happily.

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs, I am Josiah Michaels, your sommelier for the evening." The man in the suit explained.

Jenny immediately took note of his British accent.

"Mrs. Gibbs, I must say you have excellent taste in red wines, but tonight your beverage has already been selected for you." Josiah explained as he placed the bottle he was carrying on the table.

Jenny raised an eyebrow at Jethro, sure that he had a trick up his sleeve. He must have snuck something in, Jenny thought to herself. But much to Jenny's surprise Jethro looked as confused as she did. Jenny squinted in the dim candlelight to read the label on the bottle. It was champagne. "Somebody wants to surprise us", she thought to herself

"This accompanied your champagne, Madame." Josiah said as he handed Jenny a white envelope.

Jenny glanced at Jethro, and then down at the envelope. It was simply addressed to "The Newlyweds" but Jenny instantly recognized the writing. It was Ducky's.

"It's from Ducky." Jenny said looking at Jethro.

"Well, then hurry up and open it." Jethro said with a smile.

Jenny opened the envelope and inside was a simple card that read "Congratulations" on the front in silver calligraphy. Jenny showed Jethro the front of the card and then opened it to read it. As she opened it something inside fell to the floor, and Jethro immediately dove underneath the table to find it. Jenny was without her reading glasses, and she had to hold the card at arm's length to read the note inside. Underneath the table Jenny could hear Jethro rummaging around. Not one to deny an opportunity Jethro placed a gentle kiss on the inside of Jenny's left ankle before he returned to his seat. A smile swept across Jenny's face as she felt Jethro kiss her ankle, and she bit her tongue to conceal a giggle.

Finally Jethro was seated again, and he looked at what had fallen out of the card. It was a picture of the entire team and the twins standing in front of the "Spirit of Saint Louis" at the Smithsonian museum. He turned the picture over, and on the back the current date and the words "Team Gibbs" were written in Abby's handwriting. Jethro smiled and handed the picture to Jenny. She glanced at it, and read the card aloud.

"We thought you might enjoy this, hope you're having fun, we're keeping the kids entertained. Love, Team Gibbs." Jenny said with a smile on her face.

"Your friend, Ducky, he and I had quite the conversation today, reminiscing about our British adventures as children." Josiah said with a smile.

"This champagne is an excellent choice for any meal. It is a 1998 Dom Perignon Rose. Your friend Ducky was lucky to have found it. Shall I open it for you?" Josiah asked.

"Please." Jenny and Jethro said in one voice.

As Josiah opened the bottle for the happy couple Jenny examined the picture closely. The entire team must have ventured out with the children for a day of fun. Both Jacqueline and Lucas were fascinated by airplanes, and the museum must have been so exciting for both of them. Jenny was so happy that the team had volunteered to help Ducky. In the beginning she had been very hesitant about leaving them behind for an entire weekend, but as she sat with Jethro she was happy to be sharing one meal that didn't end with her and Jethro both covered in food and drool.

Josiah filled two champagne flutes with the bubbly pink concoction and handed one to Jenny, then, Jethro.

"Here is the cork Madame. If you require anything else, don't be afraid to ask." Josiah said as he placed the cork on the table next to the open bottle on the table.

"To us, we finally made it happen." Jethro said as he raised his glass.

"To us." Jenny chorused. Their glasses clinked and they both sipped their champagne slowly, savoring the flavor.

"Ducky is always full of surprises." Jenny said as she Jethro re-filled her glass.

"He certainly is." Jethro said smiling.

"It's nice to see you smile Jethro." Jenny said truthfully.

"I have a reason to smile now, and it's nice." Jethro said as he finished off another glass of champagne.

The rest of their meal was delightful, and they finished the entire bottle of champagne after dessert. As they exited the restaurant Jenny grabbed the cork and the photo off the table and held them both tightly in her hand. She was going to save the cork and the photo for eternity.

"What are you taking that for?" Jethro asked in a low voice as he embraced Jenny's free hand with his own.

"It's from a three hundred and fifty dollar bottle of champagne, I'm saving it." Jenny said simply.

"Wow…they spent that much on us?" Jethro said impressed.

He was happy his team had done something so nice for him, but he thought it was a bit extravagant. He also rationalized that the entire team must have chipped in, thus making the financial impact slightly more tolerable, but still extravagant.

As they entered the elevator and headed up to the fourth floor Jenny squeezed Jethro's hand.

"Jethro, what's wrong with this picture?" Jenny said absentmindedly as the elevator dinged, and the doors opened.

They exited and made their way towards their hotel room. Jethro was silent for a moment, and as he stuck the key in the door he finally spoke up.

"You don't have pureed green beans down the front of you, and I don't have cereal in my hair." Jethro said as they entered their hotel room.

"And you're not scraping dried spaghetti sauce off of two highchair trays." Jenny added for good measure.

The first time she had fed the twins spaghetti had been an epic disaster. The kitchen had been re-painted with marinara sauce, and for weeks Jethro joked to everyone at the office that all he did after work was scrape sauce off of every surface in his kitchen. Much to Jethro's chagrin he walked into the office one morning to find four jars of Ragu pasta sauce on his desk. It was DiNozzo's idea of a prank, and Jethro got a good laugh out of the whole situation. After all, Jethro was happy that the sauce was in the jar, and not actually on his desk.

Jenny looked at the photo of the team in her hand. She was so happy to be back home. She was so happy to have healthy children, but above all she was happy that she was with Jethro. They spent the rest of their honeymoon relaxing, among other things, and promptly at five on Sunday Jenny and Jethro knocked on Ducky's front door. The time had come to return the Morgan, and gather their children. They had traded cars with Ducky after the wedding reception. Ducky needed the SUV because it had car seats, and he wanted Jethro and Jenny to drive away in style, and the epitome of style and class was his beautiful vintage Morgan.

Abby opened the front door and immediately hugged the newlyweds.

"We had so much fun with the babies!" She said excitedly as Jenny gasped for air under Abby's tight grip.

Thankfully, Mrs. Mallard rescued Jenny and Jethro from Abby's firm grasp.

"Jethro dear! Lovely to see you!" Mrs. Mallard exclaimed as she stood in the front door. For some reason Mrs. Mallard always remembered Jethro. Jethro kissed Mrs. Mallard on the cheek as he made his way into Ducky's front hall.

The rest of the team was in the parlor, sitting on the floor helping Jackie and Luke play with their building blocks. It took almost an hour to gather everything, load up the car, and say good-bye and thank-you.

That night as she rested her head on her pillow Jenny was happy to be home. Her husband was snoring softly right next to her, and her children were down the hall and sleeping peacefully. Indeed, life was full of blessings


	2. Chapter 2

"How about....now?!" Abby Sciuto asked Jenny as they stood in the dining room at the house Jenny shared with Jethro.

"Abby!" They're only babies. Be patient, besides Ducky and Mrs. Mallard aren't even here yet." Jenny scolded the forensic scientist.

It was Christmas morning, and the twins were just three months shy of their second birthday. Jenny was hoping that this Christmas would be more exciting than the previous two. The first year the concept had totally been lost on her children. Understandably so, as they were only nine months old at the time. Last year had been a bit better. With a lot of help from their parents the twins seemed to at least enjoy opening gifts.

This year though, the twins were talking, and walking, and curious about everything. It was quarter to eight, and Abby was impatiently pacing in the dining room waiting for the twins to wake up.

"Abby stop pacing, it makes me nervous." Jenny said as she headed to the kitchen for another cup of coffee.

"Sorry Jen." Abby mumbled as she pulled out a dining room chair and sat down.

"If they're not up by eight, we're waking them up. I can't stand it either." Jethro Gibbs told his wife as she poured another cup of coffee.

"Jethro Gibbs, you mean to tell me you're actually excited about something?" Jenny smiled as she handed her husband a refill of his coffee.

"Yes, I'm hoping that this might be the magical year, you know the year they get it. That it sinks in that the fat guy in red brings them a ton of fun stuff. Their faces are going to be priceless." Jethro said happily as he sipped his coffee.

"How old was Kelly when she figured out the joy of Christmas?" Jenny asked.

The second the words had exited her mouth Jenny had instantly regretted them. She didn't mean to pry. It had been a natural curiosity, but Jenny didn't want to bring up the pain of the past on Christmas Day.

"Oh Jethro, I'm sorry!" Jenny blurted out.

"Don't be sorry." Jethro Gibbs said as he reached for his wife's hand.

Gently, Jethro kissed the back of Jenny's hand as if to say "it's okay." And then he took one large gulp of coffee and set the cup down. Jenny could see the wheels turning in his brain.

"It seems like so long ago, but I'm guessing she was two or three." Jethro said honestly as he stared into his coffee cup.

"Well, we can only hope the twins follow suit." Jenny said as she re-filled the coffee maker to start another pot.

"Where are my babies?" Jack Gibbs asked as he burst through the front door and stood in the front hallway.

The older man was loaded down with brightly wrapped packages, and he was carrying a bottle of wine.

"Hey dad! How was the drive?" Jethro Gibbs said with a smile.

"Not bad at all." Jack Gibbs said simply as he set the wine down and unbuttoned his coat.

"Do I hear Jack?" Abby asked with a sly smile as she made her way into the kitchen.

Abby wanted a re-fill on her coffee, but just as she had rounded the corner she had heard the word "Kelly." Abby had been smart enough to realize that Jenny and Jethro were having a private conversation, and until somebody else broke the ice Abby was going to stay put. So Abby had lingered behind the doorway until Jack Gibbs had given her a reason to emerge.

"Do I hear Abby?" Jack Gibbs said with a smile.

Abby rushed over and practically knocked over Jack as she hugged him. Jethro hurried over to help his father carry in the packages and the wine. As the Gibbs men organized the gifts under the tree Jenny and Abby headed upstairs to wake up the children.

Jenny had picked out their outfits a week before. Jacqueline had a beautiful ivory dress embroidered with red poinsettias, lace socks, and black Mary Janes. Lucas had khakis and a red sweater with a reindeer embroidered on the font. They had worn their outfits to church the night before. Miraculously, neither of the children had spilled anything on their clothes. When Jenny had changed them into their pajamas all she did was lay the outfits out neatly so they were ready for the next morning. In Jenny's world it was a small miracle, and she considered clean clothes an early Christmas present. Since they had been born it was not unusual for the children to go through several outfits a day.

Gently, Abby picked Lucas up out of bed, and Jenny got Jacqueline. As Jenny and Abby got the children dressed and explained that Santa had visited Jenny could hear guests arriving downstairs. Tony and McGee, then Ziva. Just as Jenny had finished brushing Jackie's hair Jethro appeared in the doorway of the nursery.

"Daddy!" Jackie exclaimed as she waved excitedly.

"Dada!" Lucas followed suit and ran over to his father. Lucas wrapped his tiny arms around Jethro's legs and begged to be picked up.

Jethro scooped Lucas up in his arms and kissed his son on the cheek.

"Santa's here!" Jethro said happily.

"Wow!" Jackie said as she stood next to her mother wide-eyed.

Jenny gave Jethro a telling look. Ducky must have arrived. He was after all, playing the part of Santa Claus.

"Wow! Santa Claus!" Abby said excitedly.

"Let's go!" Abby bolted from the nursery and ran past Jethro and Lucas.

"She's crazy." Jenny said with a laugh as she picked up Jackie.

Undoubtedly the spectacle Abby had just created had been for the benefit of the twins. It still made Jenny laugh though to think of Abby. She was mature and responsible when it mattered, but deep down inside she'd never grow up.

"How is she today?" Jenny asked honestly as she and Jethro made their way downstairs.

Jenny was referring to Mrs. Mallard. Her dementia had been worsening lately, and Jenny feared the worst for the elderly woman.

"Not bad, she called me by name." Jethro said with a smile.

"She always calls you by name." Jenny said with a smirk.

"All things considered, I think it might be a good day for her." Jethro said honestly as they made their way into the living room.

The entire team had arrived. Mrs. Mallard was sitting on the couch next to Ziva, Tony had made himself comfortable on the floor, Jack Gibbs was sitting in the recliner, and Abby and Tim were standing next to Ducky.

Ducky was clad in a beautiful red and white Santa suit. A large black belt with a gold buckle held the outfit together nicely, while a white beard and Santa hat completed the look.

"Santa!" Jackie screamed loudly as she clapped her hands together. The tiny redhead practically jumped out of her mother's arms.

"Wow." Lucas said in a quiet voice as he buried his head in his father's shoulder.

Jenny knew from the beginning that her twins were two peas in a pod, with one exception. Jackie was outgoing and boisterous, while Luke was almost painfully shy. It seemed that Luke would only seek attention when necessary, while Jackie loved to be the star of the show. At a young age it was obvious. Jackie was like her mother, and Luke was like his father.

Jackie ran up to Santa and hugged him. Ducky reciprocated and handed Jackie a small package. Hurriedly, she unwrapped it and inside was a tiny stuffed frog. Jackie hugged it tightly and said "thank-you." In a tiny voice.

"Luke, come on, let's go see Santa." Jethro Gibbs urged his young son as he made his way towards Ducky.

Ducky attempted to hug Luke, who much to Ducky's surprise cried. Luke buried himself even further into his father's shoulder.

"Somebody's a bit scared." Ducky said quietly. Wordlessly, Ducky handed a small gift to the young boy.

"He won't hurt you...I promise." Jethro whispered in his son's ear.

Lucas turned around in his father's arms, and at least looked at Santa. Jethro urged his son to open the present. Lucas's eyes grew wide as the red wrapping paper fell to the floor. It was a toy airplane. Airplanes were Lucas's favorite. Lucas grinned at his newfound treasure and immediately began making airplane noises.

As Jethro set his son down on the floor the little boy looked up at Santa. With his blue eyes shining he said "thank-you." In the quietest voice.

Ducky waved at the little boy and let out a jovial "Ho Ho Ho!"

"I'd love to stay, but Santa has a lot of work to do today!" Ducky improvised as he walked out of the living room.

"Wave bye-bye to Santa!" Jenny instructed as she sat on the floor cross-legged between the children.

Happily Jackie and Luke waved to "Santa" as he disappeared.

Ten minutes later a flushed looking Ducky returned to the group in the living room.

"A bit hot under the velvet?" Jethro whispered in Ducky's ear.

Ducky only nodded as he squeezed onto the couch between his mother and Ziva.

"Donald! You should be very upset! You just missed the most wonderful thing. Saint Nicholas was here...and believe it or not he's Scottish...I could tell from the accent. He was so nice to Jethro's children." Mrs. Mallard told her son.

In the silence Ducky could tell that all of his friends were doing their best to refrain from laughter. Ducky looked at his mother and gave a slight smile.

"Mother, perhaps next year I'll have the opportunity to meet him." Ducky said with a poker face that had been perfected over the years.

His mother had suffered from dementia for over a decade, and nothing she said or did surprised him anymore. He knew that she didn't know better, but at times the thing sshe said were comical, and it was always a challenge not to laugh. Other times she was downright dangerous. Professional wrestling was her favorite thing to watch on television, and one night Ducky had woken to find his mother challenging her dog Contessa to a duel on the front porch.

"Gifts!" Abby squealed as she started rummaging under the tree for presents.

"Yes, let's see what Santa has brought everyone." Ziva said from the couch.

Ziva had celebrated Hanukah earlier in December with friends. She always joined the team on Christmas Day, because she was part of the family they had created together. For Ziva it was a nice day to relax, eat too much and spend time with friends that she considered family more than anything. This year was especially different. She and Tony were now unofficialy a couple. Their trust issues had been resolved, and as time had passed Tony had revealed a quieter side of his personality. Together they had decided that they were a couple anywhere but work. NCIS was the one place where the pair was always cautious. Even now Ziva sat on the couch, and Tony was on the opposite side of the living room, seated on the floor. The two stole glances and smiles whenever they could.

With the help of Jethro and Tim, Abby had gifts distributed in a matter of minutes. Every guest had a pile in front of them. The twins were almost buried under a heap of presents. It took almost two hours for all of the gifts to be opened. Everybody snapped pictures as the twins tore through gift after gift. Happily they ripped at the paper, and stuck the bows in their hair. Jenny surveyed the mountain of clothing, toys, and books.

"This ought to hold them over until their birthday." Jenny said as she attempted to organize the new treasures.

"Say thank-you." Jethro prodded his children.

"Thank-you." The twins replied in one voice.

It was well past the regular bedtime when Jenny and Jethro finally tucked the twins into bed that night. The team had stayed for much of the day. McGee was the only exception. He had left mid-afternoon to have dinner with his family in Delaware. They all enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner. As their guests departed everybody was in good spirits, and full of holiday cheer.

As Jenny turned on the night-light in the nursery and left the door ajar she let out a yawn as she headed towards the master bedroom.

"Tired?" Jethro asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Nope, exhausted." Jenny said honestly.

"That's unfortunate, we still have some exchanging to do." Jethro replied.

It had happened by mistake. The very first Christmas with the twins had been a whirlwind of excitement. In the confusion Jenny and Jethro had both forgotten to exchange gifts with one another. They had only realized it when they were getting ready for bed that night, and eager for a decent night's sleep they had hurriedly unwrapped gifts. Ever since then they exchanged gifts right before bed. It was nice though, one final surprise before Christmas ended.

"Here you go my love." Jethro handed Jenny a small box.

Jenny took the box and sat down on the bed next to her husband. It had to be jewelry. It always was. Christmas equaled jewelry, birthdays were for elegant dinners, and anniversaries meant weekend getaways. Jenny had come to expect it in the time that she and Jethro had re-united. Jenny slowly opened the box and she let out a little gasp when she opened it. Inside was a silver locket on a delicate chain. The outside of the locket was engraved with a "J" and an "L". Jenny slowly opened the locket. Inside there was a picture of Lucas, and a picture of Jacqueline.

"I love it!" Jenny exclaimed. Her eyes were misty. She loved Christmas with Jethro.

"I knew you would." Jethro said as he kissed his wife.

Jenny unhooked the pearl necklace she was wearing, and immediately replaced it with the locket.

"I can't believe how long your hair is." Jethro said with a smile.

"I really like it like that." He added.

"Thanks." Jenny smiled sweetly as she reached across the bed and into the drawer of her nightstand.

She handed Jethro a white envelope, and a small box.

"I know we're not supposed to do this, but I got you two presents." Jenny smiled wickedly.

"What have I told you about breaking the rules?" Jethro Gibbs sighed as he pretended to scold his wife.

"That you'd rather I follow number eighteen and ask for forgiveness instead of permission, and that I shouldn't use them against you?" Jenny smiled as she said it.

"Well if you insist." Jethro said as he picked up the envelope.

Jethro opened the envelope and a piece of paper with numbers on it stared back at him.

"Jen, what does this mean?" Jethro asked, obviously confused.

"It's my latest bloodwork. Dr. Lee faxed the results two days ago." Jenny gripped Jethro's hand as she said it.

"And..." Jethro trailed off.

"I'm still in remission, in fact I'm beyond remission. They can't fnd any hint of the disease in my body, anywhere. If I could have had a copy of the cat-scan you would notice that everything in my brain is doing what it should be. I'm as close to perfect health as I'll ever be." Jenny leaned in and gave her husband a light peck on the cheek as she explained her situation.

Jethro's heart skipped a beat. Good news from Dr. Lee was the best gift he could ever hope for. So far, Jenny remained in excellent health, and Jethro was hoping for the sake of his children it would stay that way for many years to come.

"Nothing can top that." Jethro said as he ended the kiss with Jenny and picked up the small package.

Jethro opened the box and he couldn't believe his eyes. Inside the box were four pieces of paper and this time he understood their meaning without interpretation. His eyes grew wide as he looked at his wife. Her expression was priceless. She was halfway between smiling and crying.

"Four tickets to Paris?" Jethro asked.

"Yes, it's our first official family vacation. I already applied for the children's passports." Jenny said with a smile.

"We'll be there for Valentine's Day." Jenny whispered in Jethro's ear.

Wordlessly, Jethro set his gifts on the nightstand next to the bed and as he leaned over Jenny he gently pushed her down onto the bed. She was lying on her back, and he was leaning on top of her.

"I have one more present for you." Jethro said softly as he kissed his wife passionately. Jenny reciprocated the kiss with enthusiasm. Together, in the dim light of the master bedroom they added the perfect finishing touch to a perfect Christmas Day.


	3. Chapter 3

"Why did I think this was a good idea?" Jenny Gibbs wondered aloud as she surveyed the playroom.

"Because you love your family dearly and you want to share something meaningful with them?" Abby Sciuto interjected from the doorway.

It was a dreary Saturday afternoon and Jethro had taken the twins out to lunch. In order to get organized Jenny needed a few hours without distractions. The family was leaving for France the next day. Getting twins and two adults ready for a two-week trip was quite the effort. Jenny let out a deep breath. She was almost ready to admit defeat. Almost. However, Jenny Gibbs wasn't willing to let the struggle of staying organized overwhelm her.

Packing the clothing had been the easy part. Paris was cold in February and it had been simple picking out clothes. Sweaters, lined pants, and thick socks along with winter jackets, mittens, and hats had been packed earlier in the week. The hard part was trying to figure out just what the twins needed to be entertained.

"Jenny, the vein in your neck is bulging...maybe you should take a deep breath, and a sip of this." Abby handed Jenny a cup of hot tea.

"I don't want to take the whole play room, but I don't want them to be bored." Jenny summarized as she sipped her tea.

"They're barely two, how can they get bored, especially in Paris?" Abby asked.

"This is true, but it's not the vacation I'm worried about, it's the plane ride." Jenny said with a wink.

"Okay, I know I'm not usually the one to say this, but let's be logical. There has to be a better way." Abby said as she sat in the rocking chair in the far corner of the play room.

"True." Jenny said simply.

"I have a great idea!" Abby exclaimed.

Abby pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. Jenny looked at Abby with a curious expression.

"Hey sweetie, can you come over here? I need some blank CDs, the portable DVD player, and you'll need your laptop." Abby said simply.

"Great...see you in twenty minutes. Love you too." Abby smiled as she said the words.

"Abby what was that all about?" Jenny asked as she sat in the empty rocking chair next to Abby's.

"I have had a stroke of genius!" Abby said with a smile.

Twenty minutes later Tim McGee walked into the nursery and planted a kiss on Abby's cheek. The couple had gone public on New Year's Eve. They had been sharing a house for over two years, and they were sick of sneaking around what everybody knew anyway. Jethro had pulled both of them aside privately and had explained in no uncertain terms that he was happy for the young couple, but at NCIS there was to be no hint of any sort of relationship. McGee and Abby had agreed, and so far they had behaved themselves.

"What's all that?" Jenny asked. Tim's backpack was bulging at the seams.

"This is your savior in disguise." Tim explained as he set the backpack down on the floor.

"Where can I set this up?" Tim asked as he pulled his laptop and charger out of his backpack.

"I think the dining room would be the best place. We had to eliminate the home office to add the playroom." Jenny explained.

"Sounds good." Tim said as he grabbed his laptop and turned to head downstairs.

"Wait, what exactly am I doing?" Tim asked absentmindedly.

Abby began rummaging through the shelf of DVDs next to the tv.

"You can start by making labels for these with Gibb's address on them." Abby said as she handed McGee a half-dozen DVDs.

"Then, you can start downloading some music for the kids. You know the usual, twinkle twinkle little star, and the wheels on the bus. At least three CDs worth of music. I have a ton of song credits to use on supermuzik, they expire soon so use those up. Make one CD just classical stuff so they can fall asleep to it" Abby added.

"And then what?" McGee asked still slightly confused.

"And then we're going to let the Gibbs family borrow your portable DVD player so the twins can watch movies or listen to music." Abby smiled as she said it.

"Sounds good to me." McGee smiled at his girlfriend and headed downstairs.

"Abby you really don't have to do that." Jenny said with a smile.

"Trust me, you'll need it, and you'll thank me later." Abby said as she clapped her hands together and surveyed the playroom.

"My gosh, your kids have a ton of crap." Abby said with a giggle.

"Yep, they're spoiled." Jenny said dryly.

"So if we can't pack the whole playroom we only pack the favorites." Abby said logically.

"They have a lot of favorites. Everything in this room gets played with, believe me I clean it up every night." Jenny said with a yawn.

"Well you can do what my mother always did." McGee said from the doorway.

"And what is that Tim?" Jenny asked as she sipped her tea.

"Well, when my dad was in the Navy we got used to traveling a lot. Needless to say my mom had everything down to a highly organized system after a few trips. Each child gets one toy, and one storybook. Jackie and Lucas are young enough that you could read them the same story over and over again and they wouldn't notice. If you add the DVDs and CDs to the mix they'll have plenty to be entertained with. Plus you're going to Paris, and if they get really antsy you could always buy a cheap stuffed animal or doll." McGee smiled as he finished his explanation.

"Tim, I think you've just saved my sanity." Jenny said as she walked across the room and hugged Tim.

"That's great, but to complete my mission, I need a power strip or else my electronics are going to fry your house." Tim replied as he hugged Jenny.

"There's one in the basement on the workbench." Jenny replied as she ended the hug.

"Thanks." Tim replied as he disappeared back downstairs.

"So that settles it, Jackie's taking Mr. Frog, and Luke can have one of his airplanes. We'll take the Children's Bible, it's full of stories, and big colorful pictures. I could read several different stories every day, and still not finish the book. For the plane ride we can just pack the fleece blankets Jack bought the children for Christmas." Jenny said happily.

"Which bag are you using as your carry-on?" Abby asked as she headed towards the closet in the hall.

"The blue and white canvas tote." Jenny yelled from the playroom.

With Abby and Tim's help Jenny had a carry-on packed in less than an hour.

"There you go, it's full of the essentials. A children's Bible, two fleece blankets, a stuffed frog, a toy airplane, six DVD's of cartoons, three CD's, an easy-to-use portable DVD player and two sets of "no tangle, no strangle headphones." Tim patted the side of the canvas tote as he set it next to the luggage Jenny had packed earlier in the week.

"And I already filled out the tag for this." Abby said as she removed the adhesive backing from a luggage tag and placed it on the fabric carrier that neatly held the folded up double-seated stroller.

"You two are amazing! Thanks so much!" Jenny said as she wrapped Tim and Abby in a group hug.

"No problem, it's actually fun. Not as much fun as going to Paris of course." Tim said with a grin.

"Maybe you should take me to Paris with your next book advance." Abby said as she held Tim's hand.

Abby and Tim left just as Jethro was returning with the children. Jackie ran into the house to greet Jenny, and as usual Luke was clinging to his father for dear life. Everything seemed to frighten the poor boy, and Jenny could only hope he'd outgrow his shyness. Jenny hugged Jackie and gently pried her son from Jethro's arms.

"Did you have fun with Daddy?" Jenny asked her son as she kissed his forehead and smoothed his sandy-blond hair.

Luke nodded as he hugged his mother.

"Good." Jenny said with a smile as Luke played with the necklace that hung around his mother's neck.

Jenny put the kids to bed early in the evening. Five a.m. was an early wake-up call, and she didn't want them to be too cranky in the airport.

"We're really going to Paris." Jethro said with a smile as he set his reading glasses on his night stand.

"Finally." Jenny said with a smile as she cuddled next to her husband.

As the plane skidded to a stop on the runway at Charles De Gaulle airport Jenny let out a yawn. The flight had been long, but thankfully, uneventful. The music from the DVD player had lulled the children to sleep shortly after take-off. It had been an early morning flight, and Jackie and Lucas had slept most of the time, waking only to use the restroom, or have their lunch. Jenny also knew that the extra money she had spent on the first-class tickets had been worth it. The seats reclined further, and Jackie and Luke had been able to lie down flat. Jethro had fallen asleep instantly, and hadn't even woken for lunch.

"Are we here?" Jethro asked groggily as he looked out the window.

Jenny nodded. She hadn't slept a wink, she was too busy making sure the children stayed comfortable, and she had immersed herself in a good book. As the plane slowly pulled into the gate Jenny began to gather up their belongings. She closed the DVD player and put it away.

An hour later the Gibbs family stood outside baggage claim at the airport. Jackie was excitedly playing with Mr. Frog, and Lucas had his neck turned up towards the sky looking at all the airplanes. Jenny had arranged for a car to pick them up, and take them straight to their hotel. It would be almost dinner time when they arrived, and Jenny and Jethro had already decided they would spend their first night in Paris eating room service, and getting unpacked.

As Jenny opened the door to their hotel suite she was breathless. Jenny had spared no expense for the trip, and she could tell already that they would be very comfortable for the next two weeks.

"Wow..." Jethro said as he led the children into the hotel room.

"Wow..." Luke repeated as he squeezed his father's hand.

Jackie broke free from her father's grasp and immediately proceeded to run and jump on one of the beds.

"Jacqueline!" Jenny scolded sharply.

Jenny had no problem with her children having fun, but as far as Jenny was concerned jumping on the bed in a four-star hotel was not the right kind of fun. Jackie immediately stopped jumping and sat on the bed quietly.

"Merci." Jenny said as she handed the bellboy a tip. Patiently, the young man had hauled the bags from the lobby up to their hotel room.

The young man tipped his hat, and closed the door behind him.

"All right check out this view!" Jenny said excitedly as she clapped her hands together and opened the curtains.

"This is Paris, France." Jenny said quietly as she led her children to the window.

The sun was just beginning to set and the Eiffel Tower was aglow with twinkling lights.

"Paris" Jackie repeated slowly.

"Yes, Paris is a very fun place." Jethro said as he joined his wife and children at the window.

"Paris is also full of surprises." Jenny winked at her husband as she said it.

Jethro bit his lower lip and concealed a smile. Paris was full of surprises and fond memories, but then again Serbia, London, and Madrid had their own memories too.

"From what I hear London's got some good memories." Jethro said as he smiled.

London had been their first kiss. They had begun their time in Europe together in London. It seemed like a lifetime ago, when in reality it had only been a decade.

"Maybe it's time to make more memories." Jenny said as she reached for her husband's hand.

Jethro grasped his wife's hand and squeezed hard. She looked absolutely radiant standing there in the twilight of Paris, with their children standing next to her. Jethro leaned in and kissed his wife, slowly and sweetly.

"Ooohhh!!! Mommy and daddy!" Luke said with a smile as he teased his parents.

"Uncle Tony is never babysitting you again." Jethro muttered as he ended the kiss with his wife.

Jenny had made the mistake of leaving Tony in charge of the twins once when she had a doctor's appointment, and in the two hours she had been gone Luke had learned how to say "foxy babe" and "oohhh" whenever anybody kissed. DiNozzo had thought it was hilarious, and in a way it made Jenny laugh too, but Jethro had head-slapped DiNozzo over the whole incident.

Jethro's stomach growled loudly as he headed towards the sitting room in their hotel suite.

"I hope there's a menu around here somewhere." Jethro said loudly.

"Usually on the desk." Jenny said.

"Got it!" Jethro yelled from the sitting room as Luke followed his father.

Jenny and Jacqueline found their way to the sitting room and Jethro was leaning against the side of the desk and thumbing through the menu.

"They've got steak pavois." Jethro said with a grin as he held up the menu.

"Good, get two orders." Jenny said with a grin.

Steak pavois was still a running joke between the couple, ten years after the fact.

"Do they have anything for the kids?" Jenny asked as she sat on the couch.

"Yeah, but it's all in French." Jethro said as he handed the menu to Jenny.

"Well then..." Jenny trailed off as she looked at the offerings on the children's menu.

"Who wants macaroni?" Jenny said as she looked at Luke and Jackie.

"Soup!" Jackie said stubbornly.

"Chicken soup it is." Jenny said.

"Pizza!" Luke said happily.

"No pizza." Jenny said wistfully as she glanced at the menu again.

"Macaroni." Luke said as his face fell.

"You're going to have to order the food." Jethro said as he stood behind Jenny and rubbed her shoulders.

"I don't understand how you can't remember a bit of French." Jenny said as she stood up.

"I still speak Russian." Jethro countered.

"Well, that would be helpful, if we were in Moscow." Jenny winked at her husband.

That's why they had made such a great team. Jenny spoke fluent French, and Jethro spoke fluent Russian. The two had blazed a trail across Europe ten years ago, bringing down a terrorist cell as they spent time working and living together.

Jenny picked up the phone that sat on the desk and ordered the room service.

"Mommy's silly." Luke said with a smile as his mother hung up the phone.

"Mommy's not silly she's just speaking French." Jethro corrected his son.

"Why?" Jackie asked as she held Mr. Frog tightly.

"Because we're in France, and we have to speak so people can understand us." Jenny said simply.

"Why?" Jackie asked again.

"We're on vacation." Jenny said simply.

Recently, "why" had become the favorite word for the twins. Jenny knew that it was a normal part of growing up, and every time her children asked why she tried her best to remain patient and explain what was going on.

Everybody ate their dinner in relative silence, Jenny and Jethro bathed the children in the large whirlpool tub in the bathroom, and tucked them in after reading a bedtime story. Jenny and Jethro cuddled on the couch in the sitting room after the children fell asleep.

"It's good to be back." Jethro smiled as he gently ran a hand through Jenny's hair.

"Mmhhm" Jenny murmured as she leaned in and kissed her husband.

"We could do this all night, just like the old days." Jethro whispered as he gently nibbled Jenny's ear.

"Or, we could get some sleep, because we're seven hours ahead of our normal schedule." Jenny said quietly.

"That works." Jethro said with a smile.

By the time she had showered and brushed her teeth Jenny practically fell into bed. The next two weeks were an absolute whirlwind. The childrend had loved the art museums, and the Eiffel tower. Although the larger interpretation and meaning was lost on them the children were still amazed by the different scenery, and the constant activity. Valentine's Day was quiet but romantic. Jethro had surprised her with a box of fancy French chocolates he had bought from the gift shop in the hotel lobby it had been a small gift, but Jenny enjoyed her chocolates as she sipped red wine that room service had delivered. On their last night in Paris Jenny had tears in her eyes as she packed their bags. It was always so hard to leave Paris behind. As Jethro pulled the SUV into the driveway of their home Jenny's only regret was that the two weeks they had spent in Paris had gone by so quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

Jenny pulled the SUV into a parking space at Happy Hearts Pre-school. Abby had left work early under the guise of a dentist appointment to watch the twins. It was parent-teacher conference day and Jenny sat in the parking lot patiently waiting for Jethro. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Jethro.

"Hi honey!" Jenny said enthusiastically.

"Jen, I can't make it, we have a double homicide at Quantico." Jethro said in a flat voice.

Thus far, Jethro had been balancing work and family quite well, and Jenny wasn't too upset, but she still tried to sway her husband.

"Have DiNozzo process the scene, and when the conference is over you can go back." Jenny said simply.

"Jen, it's more complicated than that, the double homicide is a mother and six-year old little girl. The dad's on the way home from Baghdad." Jethro's voice was still flat.

Jenny's blood ran cold instantly, she knew exactly what her husband was thinking, and before she spoke again, she carefully measured her words.

"Jethro, take all the time you need on this one, and please, call me when you need to talk. I'll give you the details of the conference with Mrs. Smithson later. It's just a simple conference." Jenny swallowed hard as she said it. She had stressed the "when" and had chosen not to say "if" she knew Jethro would need to talk, and eventually, after a few sips of bourbon, he would pour his heart out.

"Thanks Jen, I love you. Kiss the kids for me when you see them." Jethro said it softly before he hung up the phone.

Jenny made her way inside the school and stood outside the classroom that she and Jethro dropped Jackie and Luke off in every morning. There were two other parents waiting. Finally, Mrs. Smithson, the teacher stuck her head out of the door and called Jenny in.

"My apologies for my husband's absence, Mrs. Smithson." Jenny said as she sat in a wooden chair opposite the teacher's desk. "He's a bit busy at work today." Jenny added.

"Well, this is your standard parent-teacher conference." Mrs. Smithson said with a smile.

"Jackie and Luke are two of the smartest students I've seen in a long time. So smart in fact, that they think they can get away with lying." Mrs. Smithson added in a cold tone as her cheery demeanor disappeared.

"Pardon?" Jenny said in a sharp tone.

"Your children are habitual liars Mrs. Gibbs." Mrs. Smithson said simply, as if she were recounting the weather report.

"Here's my dilemma as an educator, I have two extremely bright children, with no disciplinary problems, and yet they feel a need to lie about everything." Mrs. Smithson added.

"Would you care to elaborate?" Jenny said. She was trying to control her anger. The mom side of her brain told her to flip out, but the investigative side of her brain told her to dig deeper.

"Last week we started a project called "My Best Friend" When asked to describe their best friends, Jackie told the entire class that her best friend drives a red hearse, wears dark make-up and even has a spider web tattoo on her neck. I believe her name was Abby. When I explained that Jackie needed to describe a real friend not an imaginary one, she got very angry, insisting that Abby is real. Furthermore, Lucas described his best friend as an old man who wears a skirt and lives with his mother. Lucas' friend apparently is named after a duck. When I told him to describe someone other than his imaginary friend he also got very upset. Needless to say, the twins both stuck up for one another. Then just yesterday during our geography lesson we were discussing Japan, and the twins insisted they had been there, and I had to put them in time out for lying. I'm sure you can understand my concern Mrs. Gibbs." Mrs. Smithson said it as she tapped her fingers on her desk.

For the second time in twenty minutes Jenny was thinking carefully as she chose her words. She didn't know what to say. Her children were telling the truth.

"Mrs. Smithson, my children are telling the truth. We have very dear family friends named Abby and Ducky, well actually Ducky's real name is Donald, but Lucas tends to think of him as Donald Duck." Jenny said it smiling, hoping she could get the teacher to see her side of things.

"So your children do hang out with people who drive hearses and men who wear skirts?" Mrs. Smithson said in a quiet voice.

"Mrs. Gibbs, are you aware of the mandatory reporter law?" Mrs. Smithson added in a cold tone.

Jenny nodded slowly. She knew that Mrs. Smithson was headed for dangerous territory, and Jenny was going to let her walk into the minefield without body armor.

"Well then, I am concerned for the welfare of your children, I must report this to the authorities immediately. People in hearses! Men in skirts! What are doing to your children?" Mrs. Smithson said it harshly.

"Mrs. Smithson, are you aware of the line you're about to cross?" Jenny said it simply.

"Yes, I know involving Children's Services must seem harsh to you, but I'm obligated." Mrs. Smithson said coolly.

Jenny's patience had melted like an ice cream cone in July. She stood up and looked down at Mrs. Smithson.

"Yes, please tell the authorities that I'm a terrible parent because my children spend time with a Scottish doctor who happens to be one of the world's foremost medical examiners, also let them know that Abby who spends her days pouring over forensic evidence to help solve crimes, and her weekends building Habitat for Humanity houses are terrible influences. Also, while you're at it let them know that we went to Japan last year so I could be treated for a rare neurological disorder that I've managed to keep in remission for five years now, even through a high-risk pregnancy, and last of all let them know that my husband couldn't be here today because he's busy solving the murder of a little girl and her mother!" Jenny screamed the last part.

Jenny sharply pivoted on her heel and turned to leave.

"I'll also let them know the mother is mentally unstable." Mrs. Smithson said simply.

The last thing Jenny needed today was a smart-ass remark. So, Jenny did what she had promised herself she wouldn't do. Jenny stopped just short of the doorway and turned around. She walked back to Mrs. Smithson's desk and sunk down to eye level with the teacher. Jenny immediately leaned over the desk and invaded Mrs. Smithson's personal space. She was using every intimidation tactic she had ever learned.

"After you let them know I'm mentally unstable, don't forget to mention that I'm the former Director of NCIS." Jenny said quietly as she looked right into Mrs. Smithson's eyes.

Jenny bolted from the classroom, and got into the SUV in record time. She sped home, and the only thing that calmed her nerves as she walked in the front door was the sight of Abby sitting on the couch running a hand gently through Jackie's loose auburn curls. Lucas was curled up in the recliner, his mop of strawberry-blond hair peeking out over the armrest. Both children had been lulled to sleep for their afternoon nap when Abby had put in a DVD of their favorite cartoon. Jackie's head rested on Abby's lap, and Abby looked as if she could nod off. Jenny stood in the doorway of the living room, and motioned for Abby to meet her in the kitchen. Abby stood up, and gently placed a pillow under Jackie's head.

Abby made her way into the kitchen, and she knew something was wrong instantly. Jenny was pacing, and her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Abby, Jethro's going to need you back at the lab, and it's going to be a long night. I need you to do me a favor. I have to type a letter, then I need you to deliver it, on the way home stop by Pizza Palace and pick up three extra large pizzas please, here's some money." Jenny seemed almost frantic as she pulled a fifty dollar bill from her pocket.

"I'll call the team and tell them that dinner is in an hour, here." Jenny added.

"Jenny are you all right?" Abby asked concerned.

"Yes, please just let me go type this letter, it's only going to take five minutes or so, but it's imperative that you deliver it." Jenny said.

Abby sat in the living room, watching the kids as Jenny hurriedly typed up a letter on the computer. Abby had no idea what was in the letter, but something hinky was going on. Rarely did Jenny ask Abby for favors.

Ten minutes later Jenny handed Abby a sealed envelope that was simply addressed to a "Mrs. Smithson."

Jenny glanced at Abby's outfit. She was wearing a shirt that had a dancing skeleton on the front of it, and black pants with plaid cuffs.

"Abby do you have a skirt with you?" Jenny asked surveying Abby's appearance.

"I always keep a change of clothes in my hearse, you know that Jenny." Abby said quickly.

"Please, put a skirt on before you deliver the letter." Jenny directed.

Abby set the envelope on the kitchen table and ran out to her car. Two minutes later she was wearing one of the shortest plaid skirts Jenny had ever seen. Abby picked the envelope off the table.

"This gets delivered to a Mrs. Smithson at Happy Hearts Preschool." Jenny said as she ushered Abby out the door.

As Abby drove off Jenny picked up the phone and called Jethro. They were done processing the crime scene, and were interviewing neighbors. Jenny explained that everybody was going to have dinner at the house in an hour. Jethro was thankful that Jenny had thought of the team. Jenny had explained in no uncertain terms that Jethro would only get Abby back if the team came over and had pizza.

"We'll be there in forty-five minutes." Jethro said simply as he hung up the phone.

Jenny woke up Jackie and Lucas and got them ready for dinner. The team arrived just as Abby returned with the pizzas.

"Chow time." Jethro said as he rubbed his hands together and picked up a slice of pizza.

"Jen, I dropped that letter off, and boy was that lady's face red." Abby said as she took a sip of soda.

"What lady?" Jethro asked as he swallowed the last of his pizza slice.

Jenny gave Abby a dirty look. Instantly, Abby looked very sorry for whatever crime she had committed in the house of Gibbs. She was hoping she would be able to tell her husband what had happened after he had gotten some rest.

"Jethro, basement…now." Jenny said simply.

The couple had figured out long ago that the basement was a safe haven. With the door closed it was practically soundproof, and the twins couldn't spy on them.

"Uh-oh! Daddy's in trouble!" Jackie giggled from the table.

"Watch out, she'll take your toys away!" Luke added.

Jethro laughed at his son's comment and prayed that Jenny wouldn't find a way to get the boat out of the basement without his help.

Even at four years old Luke and Jackie were smart enough to realize that their parents only went to the basement to discuss serious things.

"I'll make sure they finish dinner." Ziva said as she sat between the children at the kitchen table.

"Boss is getting yelled at." DiNozzo taunted as he grabbed his fourth slice of pizza.

"McGee, take care of that for me." Jethro said simply.

McGee stood behind DiNozzo and slapped him on the back of the head.

"Owww!" DiNozzo wailed.

The twins chuckled at Tony's discomfort.

"What is going on Jen?" Jethro hissed in a loud whisper as they made their way downstairs.

Jenny shut the door behind her and followed her husband to the basement.

"I don't care if I have to work at Starbucks to pay the tuition the kids are going to Milford!" Jenny exclaimed as she clenched her fists.

Milford was an exclusive private school in Washington, and in the past two hours Jenny had become convinced it was the best option for her children.

"Wow, hold up a second what happened to standard parent-teacher conference?" Jethro said as he placed a hand on Jenny's shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

"That bitch Mrs. Smithson thinks we're abusing our children, and that the twins are pathological liars." Jenny said dryly.

"Oh Hell no." Jethro said as he ran a hand through his silver hair.

"Yes we're mentally abusive because Luke described his best friend as a man who wears a skirt and lives with his mother, and Jackie said her best friend was a lady with dark make-up, tattoos, and she drives something called a "hearse". Oh, and she doesn't believe the children have been to Japan, and France, and also she thinks I'm mentally unstable." Jenny added the last part quietly as she stared at the basement floor.

Jethro chuckled at the mental images of Abby and Ducky. To a small child that was probably how they appeared.

"She's reporting us to Children's Services." Jenny said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You didn't mention NCIS did you?" Jethro asked quietly.

"It was the last thing I screamed at the moron." Jenny said simply.

"What did you tell her?" Jethro asked.

"I told her to have fun reporting the former Director." Jenny said with a sly smile.

"Good for you Jen, you stood up for yourself and your family. I'm proud of you." Jethro said as he wrapped his wife in a hug.

"And Abby?" Jethro asked still slightly confused.

"She delivered the dismissal letter I hastily typed up. You can divorce me if you don't agree, but our children are never setting foot inside Happy Hearts again." Jenny said it quietly.

"I know I should have asked you first, but it seemed like the right thing to do." Jenny added.

"You did the right thing Jen…I've got your back on this." Jethro said as he squeezed his wife tighter.

"I really should have asked you though." Jenny lamented.

"Don't worry about it." Jethro said.

"So it's April, what are we going to do with them until the end of the school year?" Jethro asked.

"Well I thought about this, and they're in Preschool it's not like they're missing out on quantum physics or algebra. They already know their alphabet, numbers and colors. Maybe I could teach them more at home, like addition and subtraction, and because I've been all over the world I probably wouldn't be a bad geography teacher." Jenny said as she broke free of her husband's embrace.

"Like home-schooling?" Jethro asked.

"Sort of, it can't be that hard they're only four." Jenny said.

"This is true, but they need to socialize with children their age." Jethro added.

"Well that's why Jackie goes to Kinder Dance, and Lucas plays T-ball." Jenny replied.

"So it's settled, you'll do what you can with them at home, and next year they'll be at Milford." Jethro said simply.

"Are you prepared to write that tuition check?" Jenny raised an eyebrow as she asked her husband.

"Anything for my kids." Jethro said with a sigh. Milford was going to be expensive, but he wouldn't worry about that now.

"How's the case going?" Jenny asked.

"If I knew anything I'd tell you." Jethro said honestly.

"How are you holding up?" Jenny asked with concern.

"I'm trying not to think about it, to put it out of my mind. I just want to find the guy and put him in jail. Or kill him, I can't decide which." Jethro said in a low voice.

"You'd best get back to work then." Jenny said as she kissed Jethro softly on the lips.

"I best…and I get my scientist back, right?" Jethro said with a laugh.

"Well, you followed directions and ate dinner like a good boy, so I suppose you can have Abby. Is there a lot of evidence for her?" Jenny asked curious.

Jethro only nodded as they headed upstairs.

"Wow…fifteen minutes…you must have been really bad." DiNozzo commented as his boss and wife re-entered the kitchen.

"Very bad daddy." Jackie commented as she picked up a piece of the pizza Ziva had cut into bite-size sections for her.

"Jackie, Lucas, let's go into the living room for a few minutes." Jethro instructed his children.

Dutifully the twins followed their parents into the living room.

"Are we in trouble?" Luke asked.

"No, not at all. Mommy and daddy just had a little talk. You won't be able to go to school with Mrs. Smithson anymore. You'll stay here, and Mommy will be your teacher. She'll do all sorts of fun things like take you to museums, and the zoo. It's very important that you treat Mommy like a regular teacher though. You have to pay attention, and follow the rules." Jethro tried to explain it as simply as possible.

"Why can't we see Mrs. Smithson?" Jackie asked with a frown.

"Well, you're in a very big class with a lot of other students, and that makes it very hard for Mrs. Smithson to do fun things every day , like field trips, or special art projects. With mommy you and Luke will be able to do a lot of different activities every day." Jenny said it quickly without hesitation.

"Oh okay." Luke said as he turned and headed back to the kitchen.

Jackie followed her brother back to the kitchen.

"You always were a good liar." Jethro said quickly as soon as the children were out of earshot.

"I know, and it's always saved our hides." Jenny said with a smile.

Indeed, Jenny's quick thinking and logical lies had kept the pair out of danger many times before.

"We really need to get going; I'm meeting the husband and father of the victims at the airport in an hour." Jethro said as he glanced at his watch.

"Be careful, I love you." Jenny said as she kissed her husband and followed him into the kitchen.

"Let's roll!" Jethro barked at his team.

"Bye everybody!" The twins shouted as Team Gibbs filed out the door.

The team blew kisses and waved at the twins as they headed back out to solve the case.

Jenny looked around the kitchen. It was a mess. There were empty soda cans everywhere, and Jenny was thankful that there was no pizza left.

"They must have been very hungry." Jenny said as she folded up the empty pizza boxes and tossed them in the garbage.

"Uncle Tim said he was famised." Jackie supplied.

"Famished dear, it means very hungry." Jenny explained.

"Famished." Jackie said slowly.

"Mommy, why don't you work like Daddy?" Luke asked.

Jenny sighed as she rinsed out the soda cans.

"Mommy does work. It's just a different kind of work." Jenny tried to think of the best way to explain the situation.

"Why?" Luke pressed his mother.

"Well Daddy goes to an office to do his work every day, right?" Jenny asked her son.

Luke nodded.

"Mommy stays home and does work here. Folding clothes, making dinner, buying groceries, and cleaning the house is work. I just get to do my work here at home. If I didn't do all those things here our house would be very messy. That way I can spend time with you and your sister whenever I want." Jenny sighed as she explained the situation and tossed soda cans into the blue plastic recycling bin that sat next to the garbage can.

"But why can't daddy work here too?" Jackie asked as she gulped her milk.

"Remember when I told you that Daddy has a really special job?" Jenny said as she sat at the kitchen table next to her children.

Jackie smiled and nodded.

"He finds people who break the rules and puts them in time out!" Luke added.

"Yes, he does and sometimes people who break the rules try to hide. Daddy has to leave the house to find them if they're hiding, and then he can put them in time out." Jenny explained.

"Oh. So unless people hid in our house Daddy wouldn't be able to work here?" Jackie asked.

"That's right, and it wouldn't be fun to have people we don't know here, because then they'd be strangers, and what have I told you about strangers?" Jenny asked her children.

"Stay away and yell stranger danger!" Jackie said as she set her cup down.

"Find a policeman and yell!" Luke added.

"Very good. You are both good listeners and I think that deserves ice cream." Jenny said with a smile.

Very rarely did the children get a double treat like pizza and ice cream in the same day, but Jenny was hoping that she could bribe them to go to bed early. She was exhausted, and if she was planning on home-schooling until September, she was going to need her rest.

"Now, go find your sweaters and we can go." Jenny said happily as she stood up.

Jackie and Luke raced upstairs. In record time they were back downstairs hastily pulling their hooded sweatshirts over their heads.

"Need help?" Jenny asked as Jackie tried to wiggle her head through the arm-hole of her sweatshirt.

From inside the sweatshirt Jenny could see her daughter nod.

Jenny reached down and turned the sweatshirt.

"Helps if you have it going in the right direction." Jenny said as Jackie's head popped through the top of the sweatshirt.

Two hours later the twins had enjoyed their ice cream, and hadn't complained much about taking a bath. Jenny sat on the floor of the nursery in between their beds reading the story of David and Goliath. With every page she turned Jenny held up the large book to show her children the colorful pictures.

"Goodnight. I love you two." Jenny whispered as she put the children's Bible back on the bookshelf and turned out the lights.

"Night Mommy. We love you." Two little voices whispered as Jenny left the door slightly ajar.

Jenny headed to the bedroom she shared with Jethro. She had been prepared to wait up for him, but she was unbelievably tired. After a hot shower Jenny put on her pajamas and slid into bed. She read a brief section from the book of Psalms and turned out the light.

It was almost three-thirty before she heard Jethro climb into bed. Gently, he rubbed Jenny's back.

"Mmmhm…" Jenny mumbled.

"We caught the bastard." Jethro whispered in his wife's ear before he rolled over and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

***Just a warning to the reader, there is a description of a crime scene at the very end of the chapter...I tried to make it no worse than what would be seen on television, I hope it's not too offensive.***

"Would you like to talk about it?" Jenny joked as she spit her toothpaste in the sink.

"Nope." Jethro said simply as he stood in the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.

"You can sleep in; you know that... right?" Jenny said as she rinsed her toothbrush.

"And miss the first day of you dutifully home-schooling our children?" Jethro said as he stepped out of the shower.

"You've only had three hours of sleep Jethro." Jenny said as she caught a glimpse at her shirtless husband.

"I've done more with less." He replied dryly.

"That's not the point." Jenny said simply.

"Listen, I'll talk about it when I'm ready. Just make sure there's a full bottle of bourbon waiting for me." Jethro said as he reached past Jenny and grabbed his toothbrush off the vanity.

"Fine." Jenny replied as she headed out of the bathroom.

Team Gibbs had the entire day off. They had been up late solving a double homicide in Quantico, and Jethro had returned home at three-thirty a.m. Jethro Gibbs had almost reached his breaking point mentally. The entire team had been given orders to do nothing but relax for an entire day.

Jenny stood before her closet. She couldn't figure out what to wear. She looked at the clock on the night stand. It was almost time to get the twins up. It was either throw on the first thing she found or get stuck in a bathrobe all day.

"You know, I wouldn't mind it if you stayed in that bathrobe...and I wouldn't mind if you got out of it either." Jethro whispered as he kissed Jenny's neck.

She hadn't even heard him sneak up behind her. His breath was hot on the delicate skin of her neck. It had been a long time Jenny thought to herself. Almost too long, but with the twins, and everybody's schedule it seemed as if the private moments she and Jethro shared were fewer and farther between.

"I feel the same way about that towel." Jenny said coyly, as Jethro continued kissing her neck.

"Maybe we could let the kids sleep in..." Jethro whispered as he wrapped his arms around Jenny's waist.

"Not a chance, if we're going to take this home education thing seriously we're going to put them on a set schedule, starting today." Jenny said firmly as she tried to wiggle her way out of Jethro's grasp. Jethro tightened his grip on his wife.

"They're four...what can it hurt?" Jethro whispered.

"True...." Jenny said slowly.

"But just this once. After today, positively no exceptions." Jenny said firmly as she pivoted on her heels and turned to face Jethro.

Much to Jethro's surprise Jenny wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. It seemed as if the room had begun to spin around them. Jethro could only concentrate on his wife as he slowly became enchanted by her presence, and the joy he got from kissing her. Just as Jethro was trying to figure out how to get Jenny back to bed he heard a little giggle. Without hesitation Jenny quickly ended the kiss. Jethro was still clad only in a towel, and the door to the master bedroom was slightly ajar. The coupled didn't even have to look up to know which child was the invader of privacy.

"Jacqueline LeAnn!" Jenny yelled.

Slowly, a tiny head full of unruly auburn curls peeked around the door, while Jethro held one hand firmly on the towel around his waist. He wasn't taking any chances. The towel was slowly coming undone, and he feared the worst. Jethro ducked back into the bathroom and closed the door.

"Young lady, what have I told you about privacy?" Jenny said as Jackie stood in the doorway of the master bedroom.

"That it's very important, and if I need to interrupt I have to knock" Jackie twirled a curl around her hand as she repeated what her mother had told her at least a million times before.

"That's right, so what are you doing, sneaking out of bed, and not following the rules about knocking?" Jenny asked.

"The door was sort of open." Jackie said with a smile.

"Crap." Jenny thought to herself.

The door to the master bedroom had been left open. They always left it that way at night, that way if the twins needed anything they could just come right in and wake their parents up. Jackie must have taken it as a sign that it was okay to come in. That was until she had seen her parents kissing.

"Luke wanted me to ask if we could have waffles." Jackie said absentmindedly.

"So you came to ask something your brother wouldn't ask for himself?" Jenny said confused.

Jackie nodded.

There was something more to this story, but Jenny couldn't figure it out.

"Okay, if he wants waffles let's get him out of bed then." Jenny said as she headed towards the nursery holding Jackie's hand.

"Luke!" Jackie yelled loudly as they walked out of the master bedroom.

Jenny could hear the pitter-patter of little feet, and as she rounded the corner into the nursery Jenny saw a flushed- looking Luke huddling under his comforter.

"Lucas, you've been in bed all this time?" Jenny said as she let go of Jackie's hand.

Luke nodded.

"Well you look awfully warm, and out of breath for being in bed all this time. Perhaps you have a fever. Maybe you should stay in bed all day in a quiet room with nothing to do." Jenny said as she headed over and knelt next to Luke's bed.

Jenny placed her hand on Luke's forehead.

"Oh my, you're burning up. You poor thing. You have to stay in bed all day. I guess we're not going to the park, or roller-skating." Jenny said wistfully as she stood up.

"No!" Luke wailed.

"Excuse me?" Jenny said as she looked at her son.

Jenny's plan had worked. She had outsmarted her children. They were extremely intelligent for being four, but they were no match for Jenny's perception or investigative skills.

"I'm not sick, I'm warm from running. It was all Jackie's idea. She said it would be like being a spy." Luke ratted his sister out without hesitation.

"What would be like being a spy?" Jethro asked from the doorway.

He was clad in a pair of old sweat pants and a t-shirt. Jenny was secretly wishing she could see him in something less, maybe later that evening.

"If we sneaked up on you and daddy." Luke explained.

"Shut up!" Jackie yelled at her brother as she stomped her foot.

"Jacqueline LeAnn, don't talk like that!" Jethro scolded.

"Snuck." Jenny corrected her son's grammar.

"So why did you think you needed to spy on mommy and daddy?" Jethro asked as he knelt next to Jackie, so that he was eye level with his daughter.

"Cuz Uncle Tony said we should." Jackie blurted out.

"Why would Uncle Tony tell you to spy on us?" Jenny wondered aloud.

"We weren't supposed to see him kissing Aunt Ziva, but we wanted a drink of water after we had gone to bed, and they were watchin' tv and kissin...and when I tugged on Uncle Tony's foot to get his attention he acted all surprised and stuff." Luke said simply.

"Really?" Jethro said as he raised an eyebrow and looked at his wife.

"Yeah, but he got us our water really quick and sent us back to bed, and I said "Uncle Tony, what were you doing?" And Uncle Tony told me they were kissing. I told him that's not kissing, because mommy and daddy don't kiss like that." Jackie added.

"And then Uncle Tony told us that mommies and daddies do kiss like that, but only when nobody's around, and that if we didn't believe him we should spy on you." Luke finished the story.

"What exactly do you mean by "kiss like that?" Jenny asked. She was worried her children had seen too much for their young eyes.

"You know." Jackie said with a smile.

"No, we don't." Jethro said simply.

" I mean when you kiss each other on the lips." Jackie added.

"You and daddy like to kiss each other's cheeks, or on the forehead, but Aunt Ziva and Uncle Tony like to kiss each other's lips." Luke said as he pulled the comforter off of him and sat up in bed.

"Luke, mommy and daddy do kiss like Aunt Ziva and Uncle Tony, but only when they're in their room." Jackie said in a know-it-all voice.

"Jethro, a word with you in the hall please." Jenny said as she followed her husband into the hallway.

"I'm going to kill DiNozzo." Jethro hissed the moment the couple made their way into the hallway.

"Well I guess our children caught them making out." Jenny said as she reached for Jethro's hand.

"I would imagine so." Jethro said with a sigh.

"First he teaches them "foxy babe", and now they know what making out is. We shouldn't have ever let him baby-sit." Jenny said as she gripped her husband's hand.

"I think we've figured out who the squealer is in the family, too." Jenny said with a smile.

"Remind me to always interrogate Lucas first." Jethro said with his crooked grin.

"Will do, Agent Gibbs." Jenny said as she headed back into the nursery with Jethro.

"Jackie and Luke, we need to talk. Uncle Tony was right. Mommies and daddies do kiss on the lips sometimes, but not all the time. It's never polite to spy on anybody though. If you have a question you need to ask on us. Please don't spy. It's rude, and it can scare people." Jethro said it as simply as he could.

"I'm sorry." Jackie said in a quiet voice as she hung her head.

"It's all right, apology accepted." Jethro replied as she picked his daughter up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You need to apologize to your brother for saying "shut-up" though, we had a talk about mean words just last week" Jenny added.

"I'm sorry Luke." Jackie said.

"It's okay." Luke said as he hopped out of bed.

"Luke, you owe us an apology too." Jenny said to her son.

"I'm sorry I helped Jackie spy on you." Luke said as he followed his father and sister downstairs.

Jenny whipped up some batter for waffles while Jethro pre-heated the waffle iron. The children were sitting patiently at the kitchen table waiting for breakfast.

"Is Aunt Ziva in trouble?" Luke asked absentmindedly.

"Not at all, but Uncle Tony is in major-big time trouble." Jethro said honestly as he placed a scoop of batter into the waffle iron and closed the lid.

"You're going to take his toys away?" Jackie asked wide-eyed.

"Every single one of them." Jethro said with a chuckle.

In reality he was going to head-slap DiNozzo repeatedly, and then most likely tell him never to pull a stunt like that again. But taking toys away was the worst punishment Jackie could imagine, so Jethro decided that he'd let his daughter go on thinking that Uncle Tony was getting in that much trouble.

The Gibbs family spent a wonderful morning together. They ate breakfast at the kitchen table, and went roller-skating. The twins were pretty fair skaters on their own, and only needed a little help to get their balance just right. Just as Jenny pulled her purse out of the locker they had rented at the skating rink she heard her phone ring. She didn't recognize the number.

"Hello, this is Jennifer Gibbs." Jenny said in a polite voice.

"Hello Mrs. Gibbs, this is Sally Dover, the Headmistress at Happy Hearts Pre-school. Mrs. Smithson told me just now that your children will no longer be attending school here. Is that true?"

Jenny felt a tug on her pant leg. It was Luke and he was signaling that he needed to use the potty. Jenny snapped her fingers to get her husband's attention. He had been tying Jackie's shoes for her.

Jethro finished lacing Jackie's shoes and traded kids with Jenny. Jenny stood there listening to Ms. Dover drone on and on about parent satisfaction, and what good students Jacqueline and Lucas were. As Jackie held her mother's hand tightly Jethro and Lucas made their way to the men's room.

"I understand all of that Ms. Dover, but my children will not be returning. I am home-educating until September, and the children will begin attending Milford." Jenny explained simply.

"Well, I want you to know that after the stunt she pulled yesterday Ms. Smithson will not be returning for the next school year." Ms. Dover explained tersely.

"And neither will my children." Jenny said in a tense voice.

"But we'd love to have them back." Ms. Dover was practically pleading with Jenny.

"That's not possible." Jenny said.

"Mrs. Gibbs, you and your husband are just the kind of people we'd like to cater to. Successful, professional, and smart." Ms. Dover added.

"I'm sure the fact that we paid our tuition in full at the beginning of the year doesn't hurt your cause either." Jenny said harshly.

Jenny and Jethro were dollar signs for Happy Hearts and nothing else. Jenny was sure of it.

"Money is not the issue." Ms. Dover interjected. She was trying to save face.

Jethro and Luke had returned from the restroom, and Jethro stood in front of Jenny. He was trying to figure out who his wife was talking to, and Jenny was making every effort to choose her words carefully because her children were standing next to her.

"Well then if it's not an issue you'll have no problem calculating what my refund is for the rest of the term. I believe there's six weeks left, and of course, because the twins are enrolled you'll have to double the figure. Just send the check to our home address, you can find it in our file." Jenny said as she hung up the phone.

Jethro looked at Jenny with a puzzled expression. Gently, she tugged on her husband's arm and pulled him close.

"Ms. Dover. She wants the kids to come back, and I basically told her over my dead body." Jenny whispered in his ear.

"That's fine with me." Jethro smiled at his wife.

Later that evening after the twins were tucked in Jenny headed down to the basement. Jethro was sanding the boat, and drinking bourbon straight from the bottle.

"Are you ready to talk?" Jenny asked as she sat on top of the work bench.

"Are you ready to listen?" Jethro asked his wife as she stopped sanding.

"As always." Jenny said. She was slightly taken back by the harshness in Jethro's voice, but considering the circumstances she was willing to look past it.

"It was terrible Jen....she was right next to her mother, when I first saw them lying there like that I thought that it had to have been a home invasion. The little girl had heard something, gotten scared and ran into her mom's bedroom. Then the killer found the both of them. That's what I thought, but oh boy, I thought wrong."

"What really happened?" Jenny asked in a soft voice.

"Well, as we started interviewing neighbors McGee got a red flag. There was one neighbor, a bit too sympathetic, and a bit too nosy. McGee called me over to re-interview the guy. Something seemed off, but not completely out of place. So we went about processing the scene. Abby headed to the lab after dinner and began analyzing the evidence. I was going over phone records when she called me down to the lab. There was evidence on the bed sheets taken from the mother's room. Evidence of a male presence. Which was really strange, because her husband hadn't been home in over four months." Jethro took a swig from the bottle of bourbon and handed it to Jenny.

"Either she was a lousy housekeeper, or she was having an affair." Jenny said before she took a sip of bourbon and handed the bottle back to her husband.

"Yep, Abby went one step further and extracted some DNA from the sheets, and analyzed it. It matched that of a Staff Sargent. Not only was he a Staff Sargent, he happened to be the next-door neighbor, and the husband's supposed best friend. We arrested him shortly before midnight and the words "take him alive" just might be permanently etched in my brain, because I had to keep telling myself that.

"So what happened?" Jenny asked.

"He snuck into the house late for a little fun, the little girl caught her mom and the neighbor in the act, and he flipped out. He confessed that he was scared the little girl would tell her father, and it would be all over. So he went completely nuts, and shot them execution style. He cut a hole in the screen to make it look like a home invasion gone wrong, and for a second we almost believed him." Jethro surmised neatly.

"People are messed up. This guy was afraid that a six-year old would air his dirty laundry so he killed her and her mother?" Jenny said aloud.

"Yes that's exactly what happened. He's going to rot in Hell for what he did though. He signed a confession, so he'll avoid the death penalty, but his life has to end eventually. Jen, I know you might be the only person in the world who will understand me when I say this. The hardest part of this wasn't seeing the crime scene, or walking into autopsy. It was standing there in the airport and having to look a fellow Marine in the eyes and tell him that his family is gone for forever. I never thought I'd ever have to switch sides." Jethro said it as he looked at the floor.

"How is he doing?" Jenny asked sympathetically.

"He's staying with his parents for the time being, and I gave him my cell phone number. I'll call him tomorrow and see how he's holding up. I'll tell you what Jen, planning your only child's funeral...it sucks. It's the worst hand fate can deal." Jethro practically chugged the remainder of the bourbon as he said it.

Jenny could see tears in her husband's eyes.

"Let's go to bed Jethro." Jenny said as she hopped off the work bench.

"I'm not tired." Jethro said angrily.

"Well then, we can stay down here." Jenny said in a quiet voice.

"We need to get out more." Jethro said absentmindedly as he picked up a piece of sandpaper.

"I can arrange for a sitter, let's make Friday night date night." Jenny said happily.

"Anybody but DiNozzo." Jethro said as he began sanding his boat.

"Hayley's mom gave me the number for a sitter last week as we were leaving Kinder Dance. The girl is a senior at Waverly, she's an education major, and Shelly seems to think she's pretty responsible." Jenny said.

"We can't keep relying on the team to watch the kids when we need help." Jenny added as her husband looked up at her.

"Well call this girl, and have her meet the kids. If you think she's a good fit, we'll give it a trial run. No promises, you know how I feel about strange people in my house." Jethro said gruffly.

"I know, but it never hurts to try." Jenny said as she kissed her husband and headed upstairs to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

1"The children have already had their bath, and dinner. There's some extra lasagna and bread sticks if you get hungry." Jenny directed the new babysitter.

"All of our numbers are posted on the fridge, and I've already programmed you into my cell phone. Just like I explained earlier in the week, don't hesitate to call even if you think it might be a silly question. One can never be too careful." Jenny added.

Jamie had visited earlier in the week to meet Jenny, and the children. Jenny had decided right away that Jamie was a good fit for the family. She had excellent references, and seemed to be level-headed and responsible.

"Yes Mrs. Gibbs." Jamie said sweetly

"Please, call me Jenny." Jenny said with a smile.

"You've already had the grand tour, so you're pretty familiar with where the nursery is." Jenny said nervously as she nervously smoothed her hands over her skirt.

"I get this strange feeling that you and Mr. Gibbs don't get out much." Jamie said with a smirk.

"Our children have never stayed with anybody other than relatives." Jenny explained.

"Oh my...wow...so this is quite the jump for you." Jamie said in a low voice.

"Well keep in mind I am certified in First Aid, and CPR, I'll keep my cell phone in my pocket the entire time, the doors will remain locked, and I don't intend on letting anybody in." Jamie explained.

"I know that, Shelly Myers seems to think you do well with Hayley, so I guess my only concern is that you've got two children to watch, instead of one." Jenny almost whispered it. She was extremely nervous about leaving the children alone.

"It's almost eight. It's a Friday night, and you've already said that they have to be in bed by ten. It's only two hours of actual watching, the rest of the time will be frequent check-ins as they sleep. We'll be just fine." Jamie said it as reassuringly as she could.

"Jen, you almost ready?" Jethro asked as he poked his head into the kitchen.

"Yes." Jenny said with an air of confidence.

"Kids, come and give mommy a goodnight kiss." Jethro yelled.

Luke and Jackie bolted from the living room and skidded into the kitchen.

"Mommy...you look so pretty!" Luke said with a smile.

"You look like a princess!" Jackie added.

"Thank-you, mommy feels like a princess." Jenny said as she bent down to kiss both of her children and hug them goodnight.

"Have fun!" The twins waved as they headed back to the living room.

"We'll be back by midnight." Jenny instructed Jamie.

Jenny locked the door behind her, and followed Jethro to the SUV. He opened the door for her, and soon they were on their way to a quiet dinner in Georgetown.

"You look amazing." Jethro said as he reached for his wife's hand.

"It feels good to get dressed up." Jenny said with a smile.

"You always look good when you wear lavender." Jethro said with a grin.

Jenny was wearing a lavender halter dress with a skirt that stopped mid-thigh. It was a satiny fabric, and Jethro couldn't wait to run his hands over it later in the evening. Jenny's figure had filled out slightly after having the twins, and she looked good with the extra weight. It was only ten pounds, but in Jethro's mind those ten pounds had stayed in all the right places.

"Thank-you." Jenny said as she squeezed Jethro's hand.

"They're going to be just fine. Jamie is extremely competent." Jethro said as he drove.

"I know, and it's time to let someone else take charge for a little bit, but it's just hard for me to know they're with somebody who's not really family....because the team is our family." Jenny said it in a low voice.

"You're not ready to cry are you?" Jethro asked with concern.

"I did as I was getting dressed." Jenny said honestly.

"I can't believe they're four already." Jenny added.

"Time flies when you're having fun." Jethro said as he put the car in reverse and maneuvered it into a parking spot.

Jenny and Jethro enjoyed a quiet dinner complete with a bottle of wine, and an evening of dancing. It was nice to have a meal and a conversation without the interruption of children. As promised, they returned home just after midnight. Jamie was curled up on one corner of the couch reading a book.

"How were they?" Jenny asked as she rummaged through her purse for money.

"Excellent. They did everything I asked, and they fell asleep pretty quickly. I checked in on them about ten minutes ago, and they're still all snuggled up." Jamie said with a smile.

"Thank-you Jamie." Jenny said as she handed the young girl some money.

"Oh you're welcome, did you and Mr. Gibbs have fun?" Jamie asked as she picked up her book bag.

"Plenty of fun. Next time I won't wait four years to go dancing again. We'll definitely be calling you again, soon." Jenny said as she twirled and headed towards the front hall.

Jamie put her shoes on in the front hall and thanked Jenny.

"Mr. Gibbs will see you out...sorry you had to park on the street." Jenny apologized.

"It's no problem, I'm used to it." Jamie explained as she headed out the front door.

Jethro was standing in the driveway. The neighborhood they lived in was pretty quiet, but Jethro just wanted to make sure the young girl got into her car safely. As Jamie sped off into the night Jethro turned and headed into the house. Jenny was standing in the front hall.

"It's bedtime." Jenny said with a wicked grin.

"Jen...you promised." Jethro said with a pained expression.

"Jethro, listen carefully, I said "let's go to bed" not "let's go to sleep." Jenny said with a giggle.

Jethro raised an eyebrow. Like a kid in a candy store his eyes grew wide, and he looked his wife up and down.

"Last one there makes breakfast!" Jenny whispered loudly as she bolted towards their bedroom. Jethro was right behind her, and he only slowed down to close and lock the bedroom door.


	7. Chapter 7

"We are never waiting that long, ever again. I don't care if I have to put it in my day planner." Jethro Gibbs whispered in his wife's ear.

"Like you even know how to use your day planner." Jenny giggled as she rolled over and pulled a pillow over her head.

"Either way…we're not waiting." Jethro said as he snuggled up next to his wife.

"The kids will be up soon." Jenny mumbled from under the pillow.

"I'm in charge of breakfast, I was the last one in the bedroom last night." Jethro said in a teasing voice.

"At least you locked the door, I would have forgotten." Jenny said honestly as her red hair slowly peeked out from under the pillow.

"See, I knew there was a reason I let you win. If you had been last the door would have stayed open." Jethro said as he lifted the pillow off of his wife and kissed her cheek.

"Clearly it's as I've suspected all along." Jenny said.

"What?" Jethro asked.

"I'm the beauty of this operation, and you're the brains. No offense, you're pretty hot for an old guy. But my hair hasn't gone gray, yet." Jenny said with a laugh as she ran a hand across Jethro's still-firm stomach.

"I try." Jethro said as he rolled out of bed.

"What's for breakfast?" Jenny asked as she sat up in bed and stretched.

"I only know how to make three things Jen." Jethro replied as he pulled a t-shirt over his head.

"Waffles, coffee, and microwavable sausage links." Jenny rattled off the weekend breakfast menu that had become a staple in the Gibbs home.

"Only took you a decade to learn." Jethro said with a laugh.

"Something like that." Jenny added as she got out of bed.

"The door is open Jen." Jethro whispered as he pointed to the bedroom door that was slightly ajar.

"You opened it again last night after we were done?" Jenny asked with surprise.

She hadn't thought of that either. It was nice though. The children might have needed something. Jethro was so thoughtful.

Just in case she might need it Jenny pulled a sheet off the bed and covered herself quickly. They had learned the hard way that the twins really liked to spy on their parents, and Jenny wasn't taking any chances when it came to decency.

"And I guess you put your boxers back on." Jenny said as Jethro pulled a pair of jeans on.

A pair of blue and white striped boxers sat neatly on her husband's hips.

"I figured if the kids needed us, somebody should have some clothes on." Jethro smiled as he headed to the bathroom.

"Good call Jethro." Jenny said as she blew a kiss at her husband.

"I don't mind the sheet." Jethro said as he began to brush his teeth.

"I have to put real clothes on sometime." Jenny retorted.

Unfortunately, she did. Gone were the long days of doing nothing but staying in bed with Jethro all day and then again all night. That's what Paris had been for. Jenny reminded herself with a heavy sigh as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. Jethro snuck out of the bathroom and headed downstairs. Jenny knew that was her cue to get the kids out of bed.

"All right kids…dig in!" Jethro said as he placed a waffle dripping with butter and maple syrup in front of each of his children.

"Wow…these are really good, better than usual!" Jenny said as she stuffed a piece of waffle into her mouth.

"Yeah, they are." Jackie said as she took a bite.

"Mmmhmmm!" Luke added as Jethro sat down next to Jenny.

"So children, today we're going to see some monuments." Jenny said happily.

"What's that mean?" Jackie asked as she took a sip of her juice.

"Monuments are special statues or buildings that other people have built to honor their friends that have died." Jethro explained.

"These are really good darling…it's strange, because they're the same waffles, but they're better than usual." Jenny said as she took another bite of waffle.

"Must be my secret inspiration." Jethro winked at his wife.

Jenny blushed bright red at the comment.

"What's inspiration?" Jackie asked from across the table.

"I'll tell you when you're older." Jethro said quickly as he chewed a piece of waffle.

"How old?" Jackie pressed.

"When you're as old as me and mommy." Jenny interjected quickly.

"That's old!" Luke yelled.

"It is." Jenny said wistfully.

An hour later the kitchen was cleaned up, the twins were dressed, and everybody piled into the SUV and headed to the Washington Monument.

"Mommy…I like that you're my teacher." Luke said from the backseat.

"I like being your teacher." Jenny said happily.

"Jackie, Luke we're going to do a lot of walking today. But we're also going to have a lot of fun." Jethro added as he put the car in park.

"Is daddy our teacher today too?" Luke asked.

"Yes." Jenny said simply as she got out of the car and got in the backseat so she could get the children out of their booster seats.

"Wow…" Luke said as they approached the Washington Monument.

"It's tall." Jackie said as she held her father's hand.

"It is very tall. Now let's get in line for tickets." Jenny said.

Surprisingly enough for a Saturday in late April the line wasn't as long as Jenny had expected.

"The line isn't bad." Jethro said as he followed Jenny up to the ticket counter.

"Stop doing that...it's creepy." Jenny said with a strange look on her face.

"Jen…I don't try to do it, it just happens." Jethro explained.

"It's like you're reading my mind Jethro!" Jackie completed the conversation for her parents. She had heard it many times before.

"Jackie…mommy and daddy were talking." Jenny scolded her daughter.

"Why do you say the same things over and over again?" Luke asked.

"Oh I don't know, why do we have to tell you over and over again to pick up your toys, or brush your teeth?" Jethro asked his young son.

"Because if I only listened better things would get done." Luke repeated what his mother had told him many times before.

"Well sort of." Jethro said with a smile.

"So here's our history lesson for today." Jenny said as she picked four tickets up off the counter.

"George Washington was the first President." Jenny explained.

"He was a terrific leader who helped build Washington D.C." Jethro added.

"Daddy, you should be President!" Luke said happily as they made their way to the end of the line for the tour of the monument.

Jenny glanced at her husband knowingly. Jethro hated politicians. They got in his way, and rarely did they keep their word. Jenny may have been his junior but there was a reason she had made it to the Director's chair, and not Jethro.

Jethro smiled at his young son.

"Maybe daddy should just stick to putting people in time-out." Jethro said simply.

"Yes, daddy's really good at putting people in time-out." Jenny added as she smiled at her husband.

"If daddy were President would I get a pony?" Jackie asked.

"Probably not." Jenny said with a laugh.

"So, we're going to go all the way up inside this big building, and we'll be able to see everything in Washington!" Jenny said happily.

"We'll get a lot of nice pictures, and we can send one to Papa Jack." Jethro added.

"Wow…all the way up there?" Jackie asked as she pointed to the top of the Monument.

"All the way up." Jenny repeated.

"Cool." The twins said in one voice.

Jenny had noticed that lately. The twins would answer in one voice, or one would answer for the other. They spoke a silent language nobody else could understand. Jenny had looked it up on the internet, and it was a phenomenon among twins. Jenny only hoped that it wouldn't disrupt their lives too much. The twins were already rambunctious enough.

The trip to the top of the Monument was very informative. A Park Ranger explained all about George Washington, and how he had helped America. The twins listened patiently, and then when the tour was over they ran around the observation deck peeking out the windows. Jenny took out the digital camera she kept in her purse and snapped a few quick photos. They would most certainly send one to their Papa.

"So where should we have lunch?" Jenny wondered aloud as the family stood back on solid ground.

"I want to go up again!" Luke whined.

"Not today." Jethro said as he picked his son up.

"Where's Jackie?" Jenny asked in a panicked voice.

She had been standing right next to Jenny only a moment ago.

Jethro placed Luke back on the ground and scanned the park quickly. There she was, running over the hill and towards the other side of the park.

"Stay here!" Jethro barked at Jenny and Luke.

Jenny tightly gripped her son's hand. "Jethro must have seen something". Jenny thought to herself. Then out of the corner of her eye Jenny caught sight of her little girl's auburn curls disappearing over the crest of a hill.

With all of his power Jethro Gibbs bolted through the park chasing after his young daughter. He was gaining on her steadily. She was no match for her father.

"Jackie! Jacqueline!" Jethro yelled at the top of his lungs.

She turned around and saw her father. Jackie stopped dead in her tracks, and Jethro scooped her up in his arms.

"What have we told you about running away!?" Jethro yelled at his young daughter.

"I'm sorry daddy. I just wanted to see Uncle Tim." Jackie said as she buried her head in her father's shoulder and began to cry.

"Uncle Tim's not here honey…he's at home with Aunt Abby and their dog Jethro." Gibbs explained to his young daughter.

"He's right over there!" Jackie wailed as she lifted her head and pointed to a park bench.

Jethro looked in the direction of his daughter's index finger, and indeed sitting on a park bench was Timothy McGee.

"Jacqueline LeAnn!" Jenny's voice scolded sharply from behind.

Jethro turned to see his wife holding Lucas. Jenny's face was beet red and she was out of breath. Jenny was still in good shape for someone her age, but she had been carrying a four-year old for the run. Jenny set Lucas down, and gripped his hand tightly, she wasn't chasing after another child today.

"Jackie…you're in big trouble!" Jenny said as she looked at her daughter.

"She wants to see Uncle Tim." Jethro explained in a quiet voice.

Jethro nodded in the direction of the bench.

"She saw him from that far away…" Jenny said it dumbfounded as she panted for breath.

"She's got some good eyes." Jethro said as Jackie continued to cry on his shoulder.

"Almost too good." Jenny added.

"Young lady…look at me." Jenny demanded as she stood next to her husband.

Jackie's tearstained face peered over her father's shoulder.

"I understand that you're excited, and that you want to see Uncle Tim, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! You are in so much trouble when we get home. I can't even decide how much trouble yet…but it's a lot!" Jenny practically hissed at her daughter.

"Daddy!" Jackie wailed as she buried her head into her father's shoulder.

"Your mom is right. We're upset because we love you." Jethro tried to explain.

"I don't want to be in trouble." Jackie said through a sob.

"Well, you are that's for sure." Jenny said in a tense voice.

"So are we going to find Uncle Tim?" Luke asked hopefully.

"Yes, let's go say hi to Uncle Tim. I bet Abby and Jethro are here too." Jenny said happily.

The family made their way over to the park bench where Tim was sitting and soaking up the sun.

"Hi Uncle Tim!" Luke waved happily.

"Hey Luke! What a surprise!" Tim said with a smile as he looked up to see the entire Gibbs family.

"Hey Jackie!" Tim said happily as he stood up to hug the young girl.

Jackie was still hiding her face in her father's shoulder. She knew that she had done something wrong and she'd be in big, big trouble later.

"She ran away from us to find you." Jethro explained in a quiet voice.

"Where were you?" Tim asked with confusion.

"Over by the Monument." Jenny said with disdain

"She saw me all the way over here?" Tim asked incredulous.

"I guess she has good eyesight." Jethro said dryly as he looked at his young co-worker.

Luke tugged on Tim's pant leg.

"Yes Luke?" Tim asked as he looked down at the young boy.

"Where's Jethro and Aunt Abby?" Luke asked.

A painful look flashed across McGee's face. He bit his lower lip just like he always did when he was nervous, and the tips of his ears turned bright red.

"He's trying to think of a good lie." Jenny thought to herself.

"They're at home." Tim finally said.

"You both have a Saturday off and you're not together?" Jethro questioned.

"Yeah, it was all Abby's idea, we're doing some re-structuring." Tim couldn't even bring himself to make eye contact with his boss as he said it.

"Well why aren't you helping with the repairs?" Jenny asked assuming they were doing housework.

"Not that kind of re-structuring." Tim said with a heavy sigh.

"Don't tell me you did it again?" Jenny said as she crossed her arms and stared down the young man.

"I did." Tim said as he clenched his teeth.

"Jackie, Daddy's going to set you down now." Jethro whispered in his daughter's ear.

Gently, he placed Jackie on the ground, and immediately reached for her hand.

With his free hand Jethro smacked McGee on the back of the head.

"I guess I deserved that." McGee said as he rubbed the base of his scalp.

"Didn't we have this talk a few months ago?" Jethro said simply.

"Yes boss, but it's just that I really thought she might change her mind." Tim said quietly.

"So how long will Abby be re-structuring?" Jenny asked.

"She said she'd call when I'm welcome back." Tim lamented.

"Tim, when were you un-welcome?" Jenny asked curiously.

"This morning when Abby was s-o-b-e-r again." Tim said simply. He had spelled the one word for the benefit of the children.

"Thank God you didn't attempt to spend all night in the park." Jenny said with a small smile.

"I have stuff in my car; I'm going to find a hotel. I just wanted to come here, and clear my mind." Tim explained.

"Hotel, I think not." Jethro said as he glanced at his wife.

"Come on Tim, meet us back at the house. We're making peanut butter and banana sandwiches for lunch, and maybe some fruit salad too." Jenny said it enticingly.

At the mention of sandwiches Tim's face lit up like a light bulb.

"Mommy! I washed my hands!" Jackie said happily as she made her way into the kitchen.

After the episode earlier that morning Jackie was doing anything to keep her parents happy.

"Good. Now you can sit in your chair and watch your brother and I make lunch." Jenny said in a cold voice.

"But I always put the banana slices on the bread!" Jackie said emphatically.

"Not today you don't." Jenny said as she pointed to Jackie's seat at the kitchen table. Jackie obliged her mother and sat in the chair.

Luke gave his sister a dirty look and followed his mother to the refrigerator.

"What's going on in here?" Tim McGee asked as he followed his boss to the basement.

"I'm being punished." Jackie said with a frown.

"Well Jackie, you made a really big mistake. You should have never ran away this morning. Your mom and dad are right." Tim explained to the young girl. He wasn't going to do anything but back up his boss and Jenny's opinion of how the situation should be handled.

"But I apologized!" Jackie said as she hit the kitchen table with her fist.

"Sometimes apologies aren't enough. Sometimes people who apologize still have to be punished, and while we're on the subject of punishments if you ever hit my table again like that young lady I'll take every doll and coloring book away." Jethro Gibbs interjected before he disappeared to the basement.

Jackie sat in her seat. She was in a shocked silence. Her parents really meant business. There would be no sneaking her way out of this one she thought unhappily.

Down in the basement Jethro Gibbs poured Tim a glass of bourbon.

"Just what were you thinking?" Jethro asked as Tim sipped the bitter alcohol.

"I guess I'm just looking for something more permanent." Tim said.

"How much more permanent does it get than buying a house with her?" Jethro asked.

"That's not the point. I guess I just always thought I'd be married eventually." Tim said with a sigh as he found a seat inside the large wooden boat frame.

"You know how Abby feels about marriage." Jethro said as he leaned against the workbench.

"Yes, that it's archaic, and worthless, and pointless." McGee said smiling at the memory of Abby recounting all the reasons why marriage was a dying institution.

"You've asked her how many times?" Jethro asked.

"Including last night, eight." Tim said with a small smile.

"You need to back off." Jethro said with a smirk.

"Abby's never going to come around if you keep badgering her." Jethro said honestly

"Just think Tim, if you don't get married ever, then you won't have to worry about having five wives." Jethro added.

"I don't want five wives, I want to be with Abby forever." Tim said in a soft voice.

"I didn't want five either." Jethro said with a smirk.

"Lunch is served!" Jenny yelled in a stern voice from the top of the stairs.

"She must have over- heard that last part." Jethro winked at his young colleague as they headed upstairs.

"Ya think?" Gibbs laughed as he said it.

Tim McGee spent the night on the sofa bed in the living room. Abby hadn't called, texted, or e-mailed. By now she had to know that Tim was going to listen to her, and give her the ample time she needed to gather her thoughts.

"Is Uncle Tim living with us?" Jackie asked wide-eyed as Tim, the twins, and Jenny gathered in the kitchen.

"No." Tim replied quickly.

"That's no fun." Luke said as he sat in his chair.

"You'd love it here." Luke added.

"We've got all kinds of toys, and a boat in the basement!" Jackie said happily.

"On Sundays if you've been good all week you get a donut and chocolate milk before church!" Luke interjected.

"Really?" McGee smiled at the thought of a donut. A donut sounded so good. He had been trying desperately to lose weight for his next book tour, and he hadn't eaten a pastry in three months.

"Yeah, but it's harder than it sounds, because you have to behave all week long, and you only get sprinkles for doing something really special!" Jackie explained.

"Oh." Tim said in a flat voice. He wasn't sure if he had misbehaved or behaved. It was hard to tell.

"Breakfast is here!" Jethro Gibbs announced as he made his way through the front hall.

"Yay!" Jackie and Luke said in one voice as they clapped their hands.

Jenny distributed napkins and paper plates. Jethro handed McGee a cup of coffee and he placed two more on the table, one for him, and one for Jenny. Jethro placed a single-serving size bottle of chocolate milk in front of his son.

"Daddy…you forgot me." Jackie said in a whiny voice.

"No I didn't." Jethro said as he reached in the refrigerator and poured a glass of plain milk for his daughter.

He set the milk in front of her, and Jackie was suddenly silent. This was the most trouble she had ever been in.

"Now for the best part." Jenny smiled as she said it, and opened the box of donuts and inhaled their fresh-baked aroma.

Jenny smiled when she looked at the contents of the box. It was just as she had suspected. Four donuts dripping with chocolate icing, and sprinkles. In the far corner was one lonely plain fry cake without frosting or sprinkles. Slowly, Jenny distributed the donuts, and she saved Jackie for last. She placed the plain donut on her daughter's plate and watched as the young girl sat there wide-eyed.

"I told you we had to earn it." Jackie said as she looked at her Uncle Tim.

Timothy McGee bit his tongue to fight back laughter.

"That's right kid. Maybe you'll think twice before you run away." Jethro Gibbs said as he took a big bite of his donut.

After breakfast was finished Jethro looked at Tim.

"We leave in a half-hour." Gibbs said with a serious look on his face.

"Leave for where?" Tim asked with a blank expression.

"It's Sunday morning, and you woke up in my house." Jethro said as he smacked the back of McGee's head.

"Oh Church! Of course. I don't have a tie with me. Will a dress shirt and khakis be okay?" Tim asked hoping to please his boss.

"They'll be just fine." Jethro said as he stood up to go get ready.

"Hey boss, thanks for the couch." Tim said with a smile.

"Trust me, I've crashed on a few couches in my day." Jethro smiled as he headed upstairs.

Tim had no doubts that after three divorces Jethro Gibbs knew a thing or two about finding a place to stay.

Church went quickly, and Tim was surprised how well behaved the children were. As they exited the building Tim and Jethro turned their phones back on. Tim's face fell as he realized Abby hadn't left a squeezed into the backseat of the SUV between the twins' booster seats. As they pulled into the driveway Tim's face lit up. Sitting in the driveway was an antique red hearse. Abby however, was nowhere in sight.

Tim bolted from the car and went to find Abby. She was in the backyard pounding on the basement window.

"I know you're in there McJerk! I can see your car!" Abby yelled as she pounded on the window.

"Abby I'm right here." Tim said calmly as he stood in the backyard.

"Well, hello." Abby said as she stood upright and looked around nervously.

"Good. Gibbs hasn't caught me snooping." Abby thought to herself.

"So are we talking, or are we just going to stand in the backyard?" Tim asked.

"You can talk in the conference room." Jenny said as she made her way into the backyard.

"Fine." McGee and Abby said in one voice as they followed Jenny into the house.

"They've been in there a long time." Jenny paced nervously in front of the closed basement door.

"An awfully long time." Jethro Gibbs added.

"Too long." Luke said as he colored at the kitchen table.

Just as Jenny was wondering if she should send a search party Abby and Tim made their way out of the basement. Abby's cheeks were tearstained and her make-up was running. Tim's face was beet red, and Jenny couldn't even imagine what Abby had said to him. For a moment Jethro feared the worst for the young couple.

"We're going to be okay. Anything worth having takes effort." Abby said in a quiet voice as she ran to Jethro.

Jethro hugged Abby tightly and glanced at his wife over Abby's shoulder. Jenny was smiling.

"Thanks for the conference room." Abby said as she headed out the door.

Tim packed his overnight bag in record time and thanked Jenny and Jethro before he ran out the door.

"What changed?" Jenny whispered in McGee's ear as she hugged him good-bye.

"Marriage doesn't always mean love." The young man whispered softly as he turned to leave.

That night after the twins were in bed Jenny headed down to the basement to spend time with her husband.

"Can you hand me the box of nails?" Jethro asked.

Jenny scanned the top of the workbench for the nails. Her eyes settled on a bright blue velvet box. She opened it and inside was a beautiful diamond ring.

"Jethro, you shouldn't have." Jenny said as she walked over to her husband and placed the box in front of him.

"Jen, it's not mine." Jethro said in a quiet voice.

"Well then, it's not mine either." Jenny said sadly as she closed the box.

"Do you think it got left behind in haste?" Jenny wondered aloud.

"Or as part of the peace treaty." Jethro said.

"Leave it to Abby to leave a two-and-a-half carat diamond behind." Jenny said wistfully.

"So do you think that's how it really happened?" Jenny asked.

"It's pretty obvious. I think Abby strong-armed him into leaving it behind as a gesture of good faith. Clearly, it means nothing to her Jen." Jethro said as he headed towards the work bench to find the nails he had asked for.

"Do you hear that?" Jethro asked as he craned his neck to hear better.

Jenny stood still. It was her phone.

"That's Abby, I wonder what she's doing calling at this hour." Jenny recognized the heavy-metal ring tone instantly.

Jenny bolted upstairs and grabbed her phone off the kitchen counter. It wasn't a phone call. It was a text message. Jenny read it quickly and her mind was spinning.

Jenny headed back to the basement and handed the phone to her husband.

"You're kidding me…." Jethro almost dropped the phone. He was in shock.

In the space for the message there were two simple words typed in all caps: KEEP IT.


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm a mummy…get it?" Abby asked with a smile as she made her way through the front hall of the Gibbs house.

"I get it Abby." Jethro Gibbs said with a smirk.

"Love the outfit. Never thought I'd see you in costume." Abby said as she eyed her boss.

Like it or not, Jethro Gibbs had been pushed into dressing up. Jenny had insisted on it. Poor Jethro stood there looking pitiful. He hated dressing up, and he was doing it just to make his wife happy. He stood there in a black-and-white pinstriped "zoot suit."

"Abby!" Jenny yelled excitedly as the forensic scientist made her way into the kitchen.

Jenny hugged Abby tightly. She surveyed the young woman, from head to toe Abby was wrapped in gauze, and plastic bugs were glued randomly over the strips of gauze.

"This might sound weird, but you look good!" Jenny said with a smile as she placed a gentle hand on Abby's rounded stomach.

"I feel pretty good, considering." Abby said with a grin.

"You must be so excited…it's getting close. I just can't believe your actual due date is New Year's Eve!" Jenny added happily.

"How did you engineer this creative masterpiece?" Jenny asked amazed at the details of the costume.

"It's actually two pieces, a white maternity t-shirt covered in strips of gauze, and white sweatpants, also covered in gauze, and my hat's just a ball cap covered in gauze, and decorated with bugs…it's noting special, and it's surprisingly comfortable." Abby explained as she sat at the kitchen table.

"I cheated, our costumes are definitely store-bought." Jenny said as she blushed.

"I think she should have worn the Marilyn dress." Timothy McGee piped up as he carried a large skull-and-crossbones piñata into the kitchen.

Tim was referring to his girlfriend's Marilyn Monroe costume. The first time McGee had ever seen her wear it he had almost fainted on the floor of her lab. Abby looked absolutely beautiful in the floaty white dress and blond wig.

"I told you maybe later, and only if I can get it zipped!" Abby said angrily. She shot her long-term-eternally committed boyfriend a dirty look.

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that." Gibbs said as he took the piñata out of Tim's hands.

"Let's go hang this in the backyard, Elf-Lord." Gibbs said.

Timothy was wearing his standard Halloween costume. He was wearing blue fuzzy elf ears, and a blue fuzzy jumpsuit. He was an Elf-Lord every year. No matter how hard Abby tried Tim just wouldn't dress up as anything else.

"You look hot Jen!" Abby commented as Jenny bustled around the kitchen.

"Thanks Abby…I never thought I'd say this but I like dressing up." Jenny replied.

Jenny was wearing an emerald green flapper dress, and a bejeweled headband shone against her red hair. She had found green high heels to match her dress, and a long faux-pearl necklace dangled around her neck. Jenny had completed the look with heavy eye shadow and bright red lipstick.

"I see you found a use for it." Abby said with a smile as Jenny reached across the table and set a punch bowl down in front of Abby.

Abby was eyeing Jenny's right ring-finger. The diamond ring that had been hastily discarded in the basement six months prior now sat delicately on Jenny's hand. Jenny had almost cried when the jeweler had appraised the ring. She was certain that Tim had spent an entire book advance on the shiny diamond. For a few months it had sat on Jenny's dresser. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do with it, and Tim had refused to take any money for the ring.

"Are you sure you don't want it back?" Jenny asked with an understanding expression.

"I told him no rings, and I mean no rings." Abby said in a low voice.

"Abby, its okay to want nice things." Jenny said reassuringly.

"And why do you think I have this?" Abby said with a wide grin as she pulled a silver chain out from under her costume.

Dangling from the shiny chain was a gorgeous pendant with two strands that curled around one another and intertwined. One strand was encrusted with small diamonds, and the other strand was encrusted with small rubies.

"Oh, Abby it's lovely!" Jenny said with a kind smile.

"I know… it's my Halloween gift…it's my diamond and ruby double-helix." Abby said happily.

"He had it custom made, and apparently it took a lot of work, the jeweler had no idea what a double-helix looked like." Abby added.

Halloween was like Christmas for Abby and Tim. They exchanged gifts, and made the rounds at various parties. This year Abby had elected not to join her friends for their traditional mausoleum party because she didn't think she'd be very comfortable without a place to sit. The mausoleum party was usually a beer fest anyway, and Abby was unable to drink.

"Can I do anything to help?" Abby asked absentmindedly.

"Actually, yes." Jenny said grateful that she had an extra set of hands.

"Please add these to the punch bowl." Jenny said as she opened the freezer and placed an ice cube tray in front of Abby.

Abby surveyed the ice cubes and laughed when she saw that the ice cubes were shaped like witches hats, pumpkins, and skulls.

"Very cute Jenny." Abby said a she plunked the ice cubes into the punch bowl.

"Thank God for party supply stores." Jenny said with a smile.

"Who's got the kids?" Abby asked as she stood up to re-fill the now empty ice cube tray.

"Tony and Ziva." Jenny explained.

"You let them take the kids trick-or-treating?!" Abby exclaimed.

"I wasn't going to let you do all that walking and Ducky was busy getting Mrs. Mallard put together. Jethro and I had to get ready for the party, and keep in mind Ziva's never really experienced Halloween." Jenny said sympathetically.

Abby had delighted in taking the twins trick-or-treating in previous years but this time Jenny hadn't asked, and Abby hadn't bothered to volunteer. Between trying to keep up with work, and get ready for a baby Abby was constantly exhausted.

"Anything else?" Abby asked as she looked around the kitchen.

"The food is ready, the decorations are up, and the piñata is in Jethro's capable hands. I think we're just ready for guests to arrive." Jenny said as she surveyed the buffet of snacks that covered her kitchen table.

As if on cue the doorbell rang.

"Hello…the sky is blue the grass is green, may I have my Halloween?" Ducky said in a cheerful voice as Jenny opened the door.

"Ducky!" Jenny greeted the doctor with a hug.

"Hello Mrs. Mallard!" Jenny said loudly for the older woman's benefit.

"Does your father know you're dressed like that?" Mrs. Mallard demanded angrily as she pushed past Jenny and made her way into the house.

"Mother, Jenny is quite capable of making her own wardrobe choices." Ducky said as he followed his mother into the house.

"I love the costumes." Jenny commented.

Ducky and Mrs. Mallard were dressed as pirates. It was the simplest thing Ducky could think of, now he just needed his mother to remember tonight was Halloween.

"Kaitlyn, how good to see you!" Mrs. Mallard said as she made her way into the kitchen and hugged Abby.

"Mother…that's Abby." Ducky corrected his mother.

"No it's Kaitlyn." Mrs. Mallard said sharply.

"Contessa's not very happy with you…it seems you never visit her." Mrs. Mallard added as she looked at Abby.

"I'll try to make it next week." Abby said simply.

Abby was always unfazed by Mrs. Mallard's dementia. Whatever the old woman could come up with Abby just went along with usually. If Mrs. Mallard decided that the sky was pink, then in Abby's world it was. Abby had once explained to Ducky that she wasn't going to spend her time correcting a ninety-eight year old woman.

Jethro and Tim returned to the kitchen a few moments later.

"Piñata's up!" Tim said happily as he kissed Abby.

"I can't wait to give it a good whack!" Abby said with a wicked grin.

"We'll see about that." Tim said.

Tim McGee just wasn't sure if Abby should be swinging a baseball bat in her condition.

"I'm pregnant…not disabled." Abby said angrily.

"Abby…let the kids get to it first." Jenny said.

"Don't worry we have another one in the car…it's a Malibu Pretty Doll, and I just can't wait to destroy it." Abby said as she clenched her fists.

"We bought it just for the big kids!" Abby said happily.

"Well then…it's going to be an interesting night." Ducky said as he found a chair for his mother.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Two little voices yelled from the front hall as the twins burst into the kitchen.

Both children were carrying bright orange bags that were bulging with treats. Luke was dressed as a ninja, and Jackie was wearing a princess costume. Ziva and Tony were right behind them. Ziva was dressed as a cheerleader, and Tony was wearing a football uniform.

"You guys look adorable!" Abby squealed.

"Thanks." Tony said with a grin.

"I was talking to Jackie and Luke." Abby glared at Tony as she said it.

"We got so much candy!" Luke said as he ran over to his mother and hugged her legs.

"Wow! You certainly did!" Jenny said as she bent down to inspect the bag Luke was holding.

"How's my princess?" Jethro asked as he scooped Jackie up into his arms.

"I have just as much candy as Luke!" Jackie said happily.

"Yes you do." Jethro smiled at his daughter.

"We're just going to set these aside for now." Jenny said as she took Luke's bag from him.

Jethro made his way across the kitchen and handed Jenny Jackie's bag. Jenny tossed them on top of the refrigerator where they were safely out of reach.

"There's plenty of food and treats here children, let's save all that candy for later." Jenny explained to her children.

"I'm really hungry!" Luke said as he looked at the kitchen table. It was positively full of food.

"You're allowed to eat." Jenny said as she began fixing a plate for her son.

"Good, because it's been a long day, and I'm starved Jen." Luke added with a giggle.

Luke had heard his father say it many times before, it was how he usually responded to Jenny's call that dinner was served.

"Like father like son." Ziva said with a giggle.

"Carbon copies." DiNozzo whispered in his girlfriend's ear.

"I want food too." Jackie said as Jethro set his daughter down.

"Okay, well how about this, you look at the table and tell me what you want and I'll put it on the plate for you?" Jethro explained to his young daughter.

"One of everything." Jackie said as she eyed the buffet.

"One of everything is a lot of food, and you might end up with a tummy ache. Isn't that right Doctor Mallard?" Jethro eyed his colleague as he spoke to his daughter.

"Yes." Ducky said simply.

"Ok…I want deviled eggs, and some carrots, and a turkey-roll up." Jackie rattled off the list for her father.

Jenny and Jethro quickly made plates for their children and seated them at the dining room table.

"Dig in everybody!" Jenny prodded her guests to eat after her children had been served.

Not one to wait for food DiNozzo was the first in line for food. The rest of the team dutifully obeyed orders and fixed themselves something to eat.

Jenny had just fixed herself a plate when more guests had begun to arrive. Trick-or-treating hours were officially over for the evening, and many of Jackie and Luke's school friends had been invited to the party.

The children had started their second year of pre-school at Milford in September and Jenny and Jethro absolutely loved the school. The teachers were very kind, and the parents had quickly formed a tight-knit group of friends. It was nice for Jenny. She was older than most of the mothers but nobody ever said a word about it, and she got along with them well. The tuition was expensive, but after the first week Jenny was convinced that it had been worth every penny.

Jenny spent much of the night greeting guests, re-filling food, and drinks and making sure everybody was having fun. Jethro was there by her side for every moment. It was later in the evening when he threatened to kick her out of the kitchen if she didn't relax and enjoy herself for ten minutes.

The best part of the party had to be the piñata. There were a dozen children dashing around for candy after Jethro had finally hit the piñata hard enough to break it open.

"And the big kid piñata?" Abby whispered to Jenny as they stood there watching the children race around for candy.

"We're not desecrating Malibu Pretty Doll in front of a dozen pre-schoolers." Jenny whispered back.

"The party's almost over." Jenny added as she walked away from Abby.

Jenny found Jethro in a corner of the backyard. He was sitting on a tire swing and quietly observing his children.

"My God, she looks like Kelly." He whispered quietly as his wife stood next to him.

Jackie was chasing one of her friends around and begging to trade candy with her.

"Really, you've never told me that before." Jenny said as she placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"I couldn't find the courage to say it." Jethro said simply.

"You know, she asked me for piano lessons yesterday when we were driving to school." Jethro added.

"Wow…that would be so nice." Jenny said quietly, just as she remembered that Kelly had played the piano.

"I think it would be…this house needs to be filled with music again." Jethro said with a heavy sigh.

"Only with your blessing." Jenny whispered in her husband's ear.

"DiNozzo and McGee are going to help me get the piano out of the attic before they leave." Jethro said as he looked at his wife.

His blue eyes were misty in the twilight of the backyard; Instinctively Jenny knew he was fighting back tears. Jenny leaned in to kiss her husband lightly on the cheek when she was interrupted by Jackie.

"I bet you can't catch me daddy!" Jackie teased as she ran by her father.

Jethro bolted from the tire swing to chase his daughter.

It was well after midnight when everybody had left. A dusty old upright piano now sat in the corner of the family room. Jethro ran his hands across the keys lightly. It had been years since the piano had made music. His children were tucked in bed, sound asleep and exhausted from the activities of Halloween, and as Jenny busily cleaned the kitchen Jethro couldn't resist. He sat down at the piano and began to play. There was only one song he knew. Unsure of himself at first Jethro hesitated, and then began to pick up the familiar rhythm.

As the sounds of "Happy Birthday" resonated through the house Jenny Gibbs stood in the doorway to the family room. There were tears in her eyes as her husband finished the song. Instinctively he had known she was there, watching him, unsure of what to say.

Jethro turned around and looked at his wife. His voice was barely audible as he choked back tears and spoke.

"It's November first, she would have been twenty-seven." It was all Jethro could manage to say before he began to cry.

Jenny rushed to her husband's side and hugged him tightly.


	9. Chapter 9

"I think you've earned this." Jethro Gibbs said with a smile as he placed the familiar red and yellow Caf-Pow cup on the roll away table next to Abby's hospital bed.

"Thanks Gibbs! Nine months without Caf-Pow is a long, long time." Abby said as she motioned for her boss to hug her.

Abby embraced her boss tightly, and he gently kissed her cheek.

Jethro stood upright and looked Tim McGee in the eye.

"So how's it feel…daddy?" Jethro asked with a smile.

"It's wonderful…I never thought I could be this happy." Tim's blue eyes sparkled as he said it.

"It's amazing isn't it…?" Jenny trailed off as she looked around the hospital room.

"I'll page the nurse and have her bring the baby." Abby said with a smile as she hit the call button on the remote next to her bed.

"I can't believe it…six hours went by so fast…I was really tired when it was all over, but hey I had my baby on New Year's Eve, just like I wanted." Abby explained.

"Only six hours, you're so lucky!" Jenny exclaimed. It had taken her almost a day to have the twins.

"Yeah, by the time I got used to being in labor, it was all over." Abby said happily.

"Abby can I get you anything?" A middle aged nurse with dark brown hair asked from the doorway.

"Yes, I'd like to see my baby!" Abby said happily as she leaned back in the bed.

"Very well." The nurse replied with a smile as she disappeared out the door.

"So did you two get any sleep last night?" Jenny asked with concern.

"I did." Abby said as she gave her boyfriend a knowing glance.

"Yes, happy drugs for Abby." Tim explained.

"And you Tim?" Jethro asked with concern.

Tim pointed to a futon in the corner of the hospital room. The sheets were rumpled and a fleece blanket was haphazardly flung over one corner.

"Good for you Tim." Jethro said with a smile as he reached for his wife's hand.

Jenny squeezed her husband's hand tightly. She knew that Jethro hadn't slept for four days after the twins were born. He had been so concerned with his wife's comfort, and they had a steady stream of visitors the entire time Jenny had been in the hospital.

"I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but thanks for not bringing the twins." Abby said with a grateful smile just as the nurse wheeled a tiny bassinet into the room.

"We figured it would be too much. The endless stream of visitors is something I remember fondly." Jenny smiled at Abby as she said it.

"Here you go Abby." The nurse said as she left the room.

"Well…go ahead pick him up." Abby directed Jenny.

"I'm surprised we're the only people here." Jenny mused as she stood in front of the bassinet.

"Tony and Ziva just left, and of course Ducky was here first thing this morning." Abby said happily.

Jenny stood next to the bassinet and gently scooped up the sleeping baby boy. His soft blond hair was covered with a blue hat, and he was tightly swaddled in a blue and white receiving blanket. The newest addition to Team Gibbs didn't even stir as Jenny held him in her arms. Holding Alexander was bittersweet. Jenny's heart ached as she held the small child. She had wanted another baby for so long now, and she just wasn't sure how to tell her husband. At first she thought it had been a passing phase. As time had passed Jenny had begun to understand her feelings that her family just didn't seem complete.

"He's beautiful." Jethro whispered.

"We make good McNuggets." Abby said happily as she looked at Tim.

"You're not really going to call your baby McNugget, are you?" Jenny asked curiously.

"DiNozzo already is." Abby said plainly as she reached for her Caf-Pow.

"Any names yet?" Jethro asked as he stood behind Jenny and admired the baby.

"Alexander Sciuto McGee, and yes, Sciuto is the middle name." Abby said as she gulped the Caf-Pow.

"I like it." Jenny said.

"Me too." Jethro added as Jenny handed her husband the baby.

"You're a natural with babies." Tim commented as his boss held his young son.

"The key is staying relaxed…they know when you're upset." Jethro said simply.

Jenny nodded in agreement. She had learned that difficult lesson quickly.

"So Abby, if you need any helping hands once you get home, please let me know." Jenny offered.

"Well, Tim has two weeks of vacation scheduled, and then Gloria is flying up tomorrow. She'll be here for a little bit, but then after that it's all mommy, all the time, well at least until I go back to work." Abby explained.

"You have all my numbers." Jenny added for good measure.

"Sure do. Sometime next week you have to bring the twins over so they can meet Alex." Tim added.

"Abby have you ordered your dinner yet?" A nurse's aide asked from the doorway.

"I will." Abby said plainly.

"Is it that time already?" Jenny said with a small smile.

"It's about six." Tim said as he glanced at his watch.

"We best get going then." Jethro said quietly as he set Alexander on Abby's lap.

Abby gently ran her hand across Alexander's cheek.

"Bye!" Abby and Tim said in one voice.

"Brings back a lot of memories…doesn't it?" Jenny said as she stood next to her husband in the elevator.

"Sure does." Jethro replied with a smile.

"Where to?" Jethro asked his wife as they got in their SUV.

"The diner." Jenny replied in a quiet voice.

Jamie had agreed to watch the twins until eight, and Jenny had already instructed Jamie to feed the twins leftovers. She and Jethro were going to enjoy a quiet dinner by themselves. Jenny and Jethro ate in an unusual silence. The normally bustling diner was almost empty, and the couple hardly spoke.

Finally they were in the privacy of the car, headed home and Jethro was short on patience.

"Just tell me already." Jethro finally said.

"Tell you what?" Jenny asked her husband.

"If you just tell me why you're mad at me I can fix it." Jethro said simply.

"I'm not mad." Jenny replied.

"Then what's going on? You've been really quiet lately, and it's starting to worry me." Jethro explained.

"You're not sick again are you?" Jethro asked with concern.

"Nope." Jenny said tersely.

"Well then…spill the beans." Jethro directed his wife.

"I've been thinking, the twins will be in school all day next year and I'll have the house to myself all day long. It might be a bit boring." Jenny said with a sigh.

"Jenny, you can get a part-time job, I won't mind." Jethro smiled at his wife.

Getting out of the house a few days a week would be good for her. No matter how many times Jenny insisted that she loved staying home Jethro still felt guilty that she did so much work to keep their home well-maintained.

"I don't want a job." Jenny corrected her husband.

"Well then, maybe we can get that puppy that Luke has been begging for." Jethro grinned at his own little joke.

"I don't want a dog and I don't want a job! I want a baby!" Jenny finally yelled at her husband. Her voice was so loud it echoed off the interior of the SUV.

If Jethro hadn't been stopped at a red light Jenny was almost positive that he would have wrecked the car. His face was frozen in shock. His mind was processing what his wife had just said. Another child, at their age…it seemed almost impossible to Jethro.

They drove in an eerie silence until Jenny finally raised her voice again.

"Damn it Jethro, say something! Anything!" Jenny demanded.

"No more children." Jethro said quietly. He was pretending to concentrate on the road.

Jethro Gibbs couldn't bear to look into Jenny's dazzling green eyes and list all the reasons why another child wasn't going to be part of their life. Children were expensive, they were time consuming, he and Jenny weren't getting any younger…it seemed the list could go on and on. Jethro loved the twins dearly, but they were a lot of work. It didn't seem right to let Jenny take on any more responsibilities.

"Where the hell are you going?" Jenny demanded as Jethro swerved the SUV into a tight U-turn, and changed directions.

"Wherever I want." Jethro said dryly.

It became clear to Jenny where they were going soon enough. Five minutes later she was standing in the small community garden that had been developed in the space where her brownstone had once stood. Jenny and Jethro were the only people there on a cold January night.

Jethro wrapped an arm around his wife as they sat on a park bench.

"Jen, you could get sick again. What would I do with three kids all by myself?" Jethro asked his wife.

"My father raised me." Jenny retorted.

"It was just you, though." Jethro replied simply.

"Well Jethro, you've never been one for sharing your feelings but I need to know…what you are really thinking." Jenny asked.

"Here's what I think. You miss the kids being babies. It's simple. It happens. I've been there before. Abby has a baby and you're just a little bit envious. Maybe a lot envious. You were so sick when you were pregnant Jen. Your labor was terrible. Do you really want to endure that again? If you got sick again what would I do? I'd have to raise three kids on my own. It's just not fair. Plus we're old, don't forget about that." Jethro said quietly.

"Jethro, we are older, not old. Besides I went to the doctor last week. She said that there would be some risk, but keep in mind I've been in remission for almost six years. It's not likely that I'll get sick again." Jenny supplemented.

"Jen…I don't know if you've met our kids but they're what most people would refer to as a handful. You'd be dealing with twins and a baby all day, everyday." Jethro argued.

"Jethro, don't you realize that I understand that. After all I'm the one who cooks, cleans, does laundry, and gets them to and from school, piano lessons, and karate lessons day in and day out. Yes I'm busy; yes it's a lot of work, but its work I love." Jenny tried to explain her situation to her husband.

"This baby idea didn't happen overnight either. I've been thinking about it for awhile. I have this nagging feeling that our family isn't complete yet. I don't know why. I just think something might be missing. It's hard to explain. While we're on the subject of my health I'd just like to say that I'm sick of people worrying about me. I feel like that's all anybody thinks about sometimes. You need to quit worrying about when I'm going to die! I don't spend my time worrying about getting sick. Just like I don't spend time worrying that a meteor is hurling towards Earth, and civilization is going to end in two days." Jenny had tears streaming down her face as she finished speaking.

"I'm not prepared for another child." Jethro Gibbs said simply as he stood up.

"But you're always prepared to tell me no." Jenny replied in a harsh voice.

The phrase compromise was not in Jethro's vocabulary, and Jenny often had to force her will on him to get him to see things from her perspective.

"You coming?" Jethro asked as he headed towards the car.

Jenny was half-tempted to take the Metro home, but she didn't dare. She and Jethro would go to bed angry, but in the morning she'd make oatmeal for breakfast, and he'd buy her a latte. All would be forgiven by sun-up. Jenny was sure of it.

The ride home was full of silence. Jenny stopped crying. She didn't want her children knowing that she was upset. Jenny paid Jamie and put the children to bed. She and Jethro avoided each other the entire night.

After she was sure the twins were sleeping soundly Jenny headed to the basement. She climbed onto the rickety barstool and grabbed the bottle of bourbon from the workbench behind her. Slowly, she sipped the bitter liquid.

Jethro was busily taking his aggressions out on the almost-completed boat.

"I love the name." Jenny said with a small smile.

"Oh you do know how to speak." Jethro replied dryly.

Stenciled on the back of the boat were the words "Double Trouble." Jethro was naming the boat in honor of his children. All that was left to do was paint the name, and get the boat out of the basement. That's what Jenny had thought at least. Apparently, there were cosmetic issues that Jethro was busy correcting.

"I don't know what bothers me more. The fact that you won't even listen, or if you did listen you wouldn't care." Jenny finally said.

Jethro's head jerked up sharply. The insult had cut right through his heart. Jenny always had that impact on him. Jenny knew exactly how to hurt his feelings. Sometimes it worked to her disadvantage, sometimes it worked in her favor.

"How exactly do I tell the woman I love that I think she's being painfully selfish?" Jethro said quietly.

"Selfish." Jenny repeated in a quiet tone as she took another sip of bourbon. The word lingered in her ears.

"Good, now you see it my way." Jethro said with a smile. It was his lame attempt at breaking the ice.

"Jethro, I just can't help but feel that if this had been your idea we'd be upstairs right now tearing each other's clothes off." Jenny said simply.

"Jen, it's been almost five years since the twins were born, if it was going to happen again, wouldn't it have happened by now?" Jethro asked his wife as he stood next to her and took the bourbon from her hand.

"At our age, not always. At this point it's not impossible for us, but it would require a bit more thought." Jenny was just re-explaining what the doctor had told her.

Jethro almost choked on the bourbon as Jenny had explained the situation. He knew that she had talked to the doctor, but he didn't realize the conversation had been so in-depth.

"So why am I selfish?" Jenny demanded as Jethro set the bottle of bourbon on the workbench.

"Maybe you should just be thankful for the family you already have." Jethro said quietly.

Tears stung his eyes. Jenny just didn't understand what it was like to lose an entire family. If he lost Jenny he'd be losing his anchor. There was no way to make her understand that now. Without her their family wouldn't be the same.

"You're a bastard." Jenny said as she got off the barstool and headed upstairs to her room.

Jenny was angry. Angry that Jethro had used his past to hurt Jenny. The past that he had never talked about. The past that she had to learn about as she sat in her office poring over NCIS cold case files. She had worked with him for years before she knew he had a family. The past that Jethro had worked so hard to hide was now his weapon of choice to hurt Jenny.

A stunned Jethro stood in the dim basement. Five wives later women still confused him. It seemed some things would never change.

Jenny changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and tried to concentrate as she read her Bible. She was asking God for so much strength, and patience, and empathy, but she seemed to be running short on all three. Jenny finally fell asleep around midnight. It was three a.m. when she woke up again. All she wanted to do was hug Jethro. Jenny reached one hand across the bed. She kept reaching, and reaching. Jenny sat upright and realized the king size bed was completely empty on the other side.

Jenny found her slippers and bathrobe and headed to the basement. Instantly Jenny noticed that the lights were off. Jenny flipped the switch and headed down the stairs. The boat was almost finished, and Jenny wouldn't be surprised if Jethro had decided to sleep in it. He wasn't in the boat. Jenny rushed upstairs. He wasn't on the couch either. Jenny checked the rest of the house and Jethro was nowhere to be found.

Almost as an afterthought Jenny checked the garage quickly. The Challenger was gone, Jenny had secretly hoped its familiar black and gold exterior would be there to comfort her. Hope was fading as Jenny headed back to the bedroom and grabbed her cell phone off the dresser. Maybe just maybe he had left a message. There were no missed calls, or text messages. Jenny sank down on the edge of the bed and cried until it was time to get her children ready for school.

"Where's daddy?" Jackie asked as Jenny buttoned her daughter's uniform shirt.

"He had to work very early." Jenny lied.

"Putting people in time out is hard work." Luke said as he struggled to get his sweater on.

"Yes it is." Jenny said, thankful that her children had accepted the lie as truth.

Jenny dropped the children off just outside the door of their classroom. She loved Milford. It had been expensive, but so far it was worth the money. The teacher gave Jenny a small wave as she attempted to corral the children.

Jenny headed to the parking lot when she was stopped by another mother.

"Hey Jenny! Wait up!" Mary Jones yelled.

"What's up Mary?" Jenny asked with a kind smile.

"Well I'm sure you know the spring carnival is the first Friday in April. We need some extra hands this year, and Shelly thought you might like to join us. The first planning meeting is tonight at Olive's. We usually get a few drinks around eight, and share an appetizer." Mary explained. Olive's was the newest, trendiest martini bar in DuPont Circle, and it was no surprise to Jenny that the mothers of Milford frequented it.

"I'd love to help." Jenny said with a smile. Anything to take her mind off her current domestic situation would be a welcome distraction.

"That's great, your parties are always so well organized, all the other mothers think you'd be a big help." Mary added.

"See you around eight!" Mary waved as she headed to her car.

Jenny drove off in the SUV and headed to her favorite coffee shop. After they dropped the kids off at school she and Jethro would share a coffee before he'd head off to work. That wouldn't be happening today though. Jenny patiently stood in line and ordered her usual vanilla latte.

"A refill already?" Stacey asked from behind the counter with a puzzled expression.

Jenny was just as confused until she scanned the shop. In a far corner was Jethro sitting at a small round table. He had his usual coffee, and a small latte sitting next to him.

"I'm extra thirsty." Jenny lied.

"Or extra tired." Stacey replied.

Jenny and Jethro were regulars and Stacey had memorized their order long ago. A few minutes later Jenny took her drink and made her way to the table.

"Creatures of habit, for sure." Jenny made a small joke as she sat across from her husband.

"I see you already bought me one." Jenny added.

"I decided to be un-selfish." Jethro said dryly.

"So, did you sleep upstairs in one of the spare rooms, or were you forced to contend with Mrs. Mallard's snoring?" Jenny asked as she sipped her drink.

Jethro looked far too well rested and clean to have been driving all night. When she realized the car was gone she had originally thought he might just be driving around. When he still hadn't arrived to change clothes in the early morning Jenny knew there was only one place he could have gone. Ducky had provided lodging for the evening.

"Actually, Tyson's growling lulled me to sleep like a sweet siren song." Jethro commented.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, if you ever pull a stunt like that again you won't be coming home again. I understand you're mad, but a note would have bee nice. You have two children to think of when you walk out." Jenny explained her feelings.

"Keep in mind it's my house Jen." Jethro said it casually as he sipped his coffee.

"Oh that's right, I live in a Gibbs-ocracy and I should just be happy that I'm allowed in the kingdom." Jenny hurled the insult like a fast-pitch baseball.

"Keep in mind I've suffered under the regime of a Sheppard-ocracy." Jethro added.

"Clearly, we're not going to solve anything today." Jenny said as she stood and grabbed both lattes.

"I don't want to lose you Jen." Jethro said quietly before Jenny walked away.

"Let me know how it works out for you." Jenny said coolly as she headed towards her car.


	10. Chapter 10

"If you think I'm not going to fight for my family, you're dead wrong." Jethro Gibbs practically yelled it as he stood in the kitchen staring at Jenny.

Jethro had raced after Jenny when she had left the coffee shop. He had hurriedly called DiNozzo and mumbled some lame excuse about needing a personal day. For once, work was the last thing on Jethro's mind. All that mattered now was picking up the pieces.

"Jethro…I just don't know what to do!" Jenny screamed before she burst into tears.

"Well, that makes two of us." Jethro said as he instinctively reached out to his wife and wrapped her in a hug.

"I don't even care about a baby anymore. I'm just devastated that you left." Jenny wailed as she hugged her husband.

"Oh Jenny." Jethro said with a heavy sigh.

Jethro had screwed up royally and he knew it. Leaving in the middle of the night had been the worst mistake of his life. He had gotten mad, and instead of just dealing with it he had disappeared and left his wife wondering and waiting for the better part of a night.

"Jenny I am sorry." Jethro whispered as he smoothed his wife's hair with one hand.

"You aren't supposed to apologize." Jenny said remembering the rules.

"No, I need to apologize. I really messed up. If I was angry enough to leave, I should have left a note on the pillow, or called or something." Jethro said simply.

He knew now that anything was better than leaving without any explanation.

"I messed up too. I think we're both really good at hurting each other when we want to." Jenny explained.

"I forgot how good you were at the insults." Jethro said as Jenny continued to cry.

"It's never easy is it?" Jenny commented as she buried her head in Jethro's shoulder.

"What?" Jethro asked.

"Love. It's the best and worst thing to happen to a person isn't it?" Jenny commented.

"It is, but I don't want to love anybody but you." Jethro tried to re-assure his wife.

"I don't want anybody but you either." Jenny said as she ended their hug and reached for a paper towel to dry her tears.

"Well then, what do we do now?" Jethro asked.

"We do the best we can." Jenny said as she wiped her eyes.

"But are you going to be happy?" Jethro asked honestly.

"Jethro, I am happy. I've never been unhappy. I love you, I love being married to you, and I love our children. I just thought a baby would be a chance to add some extra happiness. But you know what…you're right. I thought about it. If we have another child, we have another child. If we don't then it's not meant to be. Maybe it will happen, maybe it won't. Let's just see where life takes us." Jenny smiled at her husband as she said it.

"It's really good to see you smile." Jethro said with a grin.

"I guess my only concern then would be about you. Is that really what you want? In ten years I don't want you to be bitter because we didn't have more children." Jethro said it honestly. He just wanted his wife to be happy.

"Whatever happens, happens." Jenny repeated.

"Well, just as long as you're sure it's what you want." Jethro added for good measure.

"It is." Jenny said confidently.

Jethro smiled. Jenny was being honest with him, and he was being honest with her. He had opened up and shared his feelings. Jethro began to wonder if that's what really made a marriage successful. Jenny brought out the best in him.

Jethro walked across the kitchen and ran a hand through Jenny's hair.

"I will always love you." Jethro whispered before he kissed his wife passionately.

The room began to spin slowly, and Jenny responded to her husband's advances with fervor. She hadn't been this moved by his love in years. Her fondness for Jethro had only grown. What they shared became more extraordinary as time passed. As they headed for their bedroom Jenny knew that those feelings would last for eternity.

"So are we going to be okay?" Jethro Gibbs asked with a laugh as he cuddled up next to Jenny.

"More than okay." Jenny whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

After their exertion Jenny needed a quick nap before she had to pick the twins up from school.

****TWO MONTHS LATER*****

"I'm going to take the trash to the curb." Jethro explained to his wife.

"I'm going to frost cupcakes." Jenny said as she put on an apron.

Jenny stared at the two dozen cupcakes that had overwhelmed her kitchen table. The twins were celebrating their birthday at school the next day, and Jenny was sending them with an extra-special treat to share with their classmates. Her children were in bed, and she'd have the kitchen all to herself.

"Damn." Jethro Gibbs muttered to himself. He was standing by the side of the garage where they kept the trashcans and recycling bins. Lately, a stray dog had been calling the neighborhood home, and as Jethro surveyed the garbage scattered around his yard he had a feeling that the dog had recently scrounged for dinner.

Jethro headed into the garage and found a pair of rubber gloves and a plastic garbage bag. It might have been his family's trash, but that didn't mean it was any more appealing to pick it up bare-handed. Globs of dried oatmeal, empty finger paint containers, and other garbage items littered his lawn. Jethro was sure he had gotten everything. He scanned the yard one more time. Something was still out there. As Jethro approached the last piece of offending litter his heart skipped a beat.

His heart always did that when he saw the familiar purple and pink box. Five wives later the sight of a home pregnancy test kit still scared Jethro out of his mind. So many times the purchase of one of those kits had made his stomach turn. As he picked up the box off the lawn this was no exception. Jethro shook the box. He was wearing gloves anyway, and it was only Jenny. Jethro pulled the stick out of the box slowly. In the small results window the ink had started to run, but it was still clear even in the hazy moonlight that the response had been the word "positive." Jethro smiled to himself as he placed the contents into the trash bag, tied it tightly, and took the can to the curb.

Jethro walked into the kitchen and washed his hands. Jenny looked beautiful. Her red hair was shiny, and she was wearing jeans and a mint green v-neck sweater. The apron she had on accentuated her small waist. Jenny was bustling around looking for sprinkles.

"Sit down. I'll find them." Jethro directed his wife.

"You don't bake, you have no idea where to even find them." Jenny said with a giggle.

"Right here." Jethro said as he reached over his wife's head and found a jar of multi-colored sprinkles on the top shelf of a cupboard.

Jenny grabbed the sprinkles from her husband and thanked him with a quick peck on the cheek. She sat down at the table and began frosting the rest of the cupcakes.

"So I was thinking…" Jethro trailed off as he got in the refrigerator and grabbed a beer.

"Yes?" Jenny said with a grin.

"It's been awhile since we've gone out. Just us. I'm thinking of that small café that serves steak pavois in Georgetown. We could ask Jamie to watch the kids for the evening, and then we could head out, enjoy some steak and a bottle of nice red wine." Jethro offered.

"Jethro…I can't believe you'd even ask right now. You know the spring carnival is in two weeks. Plus the birthday party this weekend for the kids…are you nuts? I'm a bit over-committed right now." Jenny said as she busily frosted a cupcake.

Jethro's face fell. His wife was moody, and she hadn't taken the bait about the wine. He was hoping that would confirm his suspicions. He was going to have to try something different.

"Oh Jethro! I wasn't trying to be mean. It's just that I have a lot on my mind. I've been trying hard not to get so snappy." Jenny instantly regretted her words.

"Jen, it's all right. How about we plan something special for the weekend after the carnival? Adults only." Jethro added with a smile.

Jenny nodded yes.

"Want a beer?" Jethro asked his wife.

"No thanks, my stomach was bothering me after dinner." Jenny said casually as she began shaking sprinkles onto the cupcakes.

Jethro's eyes lit up at the words. He wasn't happy that his wife wasn't feeling her best, but if she had an upset stomach and was refusing alcohol it was a good sign.

"Jen, you look really nice tonight." Jethro complimented his wife.

"Thanks." Jenny said with a puzzled expression. She was wearing old jeans and a plain sweater, she couldn't imagine how she could possibly look nice, but if Jethro said so, she'd accept the compliment.

"Do you want something? I already told you that you're allowed to go to that boat show with Ducky." Jenny giggled as she teased her husband.

"A man can't compliment the woman he loves?" Jethro asked as he looked into Jenny's green eyes.

"I said thank-you." Jenny replied tartly.

"Well then…" Jethro said as he finished his beer, and headed to the basement to work on his boat.

Jenny was already in bed when Jethro finally made his way upstairs. It was almost midnight and he had to get some sleep before work. She looked so peaceful as she slept. Jenny Gibbs was the woman Jethro would love for the rest of his life. Quietly Jethro snuggled under the covers and kissed his sleeping wife softly on the cheek.

The next day Jethro sat at his desk. He couldn't decide how mad he was. Three phone calls with no reply, and they were still late. Even after years on the same team some people didn't understand the concept of "never be unreachable." Ziva and Tony were nowhere to be found.

McGee however, was already at his desk typing away.

"Sorry we're late boss." Tony said as he flung his backpack on the floor.

"Yes. I am sorry." Ziva said as she handed Gibbs a piece of paper.

Jethro looked at the paper and signed it. He handed it back to Ziva and stood up.

"Elevator." Jethro directed the dark-haired woman.

"Congratulations!" Jethro Gibbs exclaimed the second the doors closed, and the power had stopped.

"You're going to hate desk duty." Jethro added as he hugged Ziva.

"I know, Tony already warned me that I will quickly become stir-crazy." Ziva said as she smiled at her boss.

"Make sure this gets to Carolyn in Human Resources, they need the copy for your file. McGee is working on a report right now…maybe you can assist him." Jethro said as he flicked the "power on" switch on the elevator.

The elevator opened up onto the level where the team's desks were. If Gibbs hadn't been paying attention he would have ran smack into a radiant Tony DiNozzo.

"Congratulations daddy!" Jethro said as he hugged the young agent.

"Your life is about to change big-time." McGee added from behind the group as he hugged Ziva.

"I just got your instant message!" Abby yelled as she ran towards the group.

Abby pried Tim off Ziva and hugged her friend tightly.

"Yay…our babies are going to be so close in age!" Abby clapped her hands as she said it.

"Yes they will be." Ziva said with a smile.

It all made sense to Jethro now. Ziva had been late for work yesterday morning too. She must have snuck over to Jenny's. Jenny was the only person Ziva would have trusted with such a secret. The twins would have been at school, and nobody would be the wiser. It was a good plan, until a dog had torn through the trash. That's how it had to have happened. Jethro was satisfied with his explanation. It was Ziva, and not Jenny who was pregnant. Jethro was sure of it.

Jethro whistled as he walked in the house after work. It had been a happy but busy day, especially as he had tried to help Ziva adjust to life behind a desk. She was far too antsy to sit still, and it was a good possibility that she'd drive everybody at NCIS mad before she left on maternity leave.

"Daddy!" Jackie squealed as she got up from the kitchen table where she had been coloring.

"Jackie!" Jethro said as he picked his daughter up and hugged her.

"Mommy's making pot roast!" Jackie announced.

"Yes, and it's almost ready." Jenny said as Jethro set Jackie down.

"Go tell your brother to wash his hands." Jenny directed her daughter.

As soon as Jackie was out of hearing range Jethro spoke up.

"I admire your loyalty." Jethro said as his wife pulled a steaming roast out of the slow-cooker.

"It wasn't my story to tell." Jenny said as she placed the roast on a platter.

"Ziva texted me right after she told you. She thinks time at a desk will kill her." Jenny said with a small smile.

"She might kill the desk first." Jethro joked.

"Mommy…aren't you going to have any?" Jackie asked as she and Luke finished left-over cupcakes for dessert.

"No. Mommy's tummy hurts." Jenny said honestly.

"Mommy your tummy always hurts." Luke said with a sad face.

"Always?" Jethro asked with a puzzled expression as he emerged from the basement.

"It's worse when she takes us to school." Jackie added as she polished off her cupcake and reached for her milk.

Jethro smiled his crooked half-smile and stared at his wife. Jenny turned a shade of bright red. Her face felt hot. She had Jethro exactly where she wanted him. He knew better than to discuss something like that in front of the children.

"Jackie…how do you know that?" Jethro asked his young daughter.

"Yesterday Hayley's mommy said that my mommy looked like a ghost, and I said "nuh uh my mommy is beautiful and ghosts are ugly." Jackie replied.

"And then Joey's mom said to Hayley's mom that it shouldn't last much longer. I think it's because school is over soon." Jackie added her own opinion to the end of the incriminating statement.

"Mommy's tummy hurts because she wakes up too early." Luke added.

"Yes that happens when you don't get enough sleep." Jethro smiled at his son's explanation of the situation.

"Jenny, maybe you should just go to bed." Jethro added as he looked at his wife.

"I'm fine." Jenny said as she rinsed a washcloth to wipe up the chocolaty mess off the kitchen table.


	11. Chapter 11

"Jen…I'm going to put the kids to bed, why don't you take a bubble bath or something?" Jethro Gibbs directed his wife as she finished cleaning up the mess on the kitchen table.

Jackie was happily practicing the piano, and Luke was watching his sister.

"I can put the children to bed." Jenny said simply as she rinsed out the washcloth.

"That's not the point. I haven't spent time with them in awhile, and besides they love when I put them to bed." Jethro winked as he said it.

"Well you always read them an extra story, of course they love it." Jenny said with a smile.

"I guess I'll take you up on your offer." Jenny said with a sigh.

"You guess…you're not jumping at the chance to relax…are you feeling okay?" Jethro asked with concern.

"I am just fine." Jenny said as she headed upstairs to take a bath.

An hour later Jackie and Lucas were tucked in bed and sleeping soundly. Jethro made his way into the master bathroom to find Jenny soaking in the large tub. The marble tub was practically over-flowing with bubbles. Jenny's red hair was piled on top of her head, and she was up to her neck in frothy bubbles.

"Comfortable?" Jethro asked his wife as he perched on the ledge of the tub.

"There's plenty of room for two." Jenny joked as she looked into her husband's deep blue eyes.

"I'm just fine right here." Jethro said with a heavy sigh.

"So it seems the world may come to a screeching halt. DiNozzo as a father…I never thought I'd see the day." Jethro smiled as he said it.

"I know…it seems so strange. He was so afraid of commitment, but now he's ready to take care of Ziva and a baby. He will be a good father." Jenny added.

"I'd love to have another baby." Jethro said as he looked at his wife.

Jenny raised an eyebrow at her husband's surprising comment. It had only been two months since he had rattled off a list of reasons why a third child wasn't a good idea. Jethro had eventually warmed up to the idea of a third child, but here he was sitting on the edge of the tub, practically begging for a child.

"There's only one way to make that happen." Jenny smiled and motioned for Jethro to join her in the tub.

"Unless it already has." Jethro said with a smirk.

Jenny chose to ignore her husband's remark, and much to Jenny's disappointment Jethro remained on the edge of the immense tub.

"I just can't tell you how much I admire your loyalty Jen. You are a really good friend to Ziva. I think loyalty is missing in a lot of relationships these days. I mean, you knew before I did, and you didn't tell me. I wish I had a friend like that." Jethro smiled at his wife.

"It wasn't my secret to tell." Jenny said.

As she spoke Jethro caught the small sign he had been looking for. Her right eye was twitching. Jenny was lying. She hadn't known before Jethro. She had known after. Her only mistake had been admitting it in the kitchen as she got dinner ready.

"So, while we're on the subject of loyalty, and secrets would you like to tell your husband anything?" Jethro was pushing Jenny, and it was only a matter of time before she'd catch on or cave in.

"Yes, if you don't get in this tub soon you won't be getting any." Jenny said with a smile.

Jenny knew he was pumping her for information. She had learned from him. She had been his probie once a long, long time ago.

"Any secrets?" Jethro interrupted Jenny's thoughts about her early days with Jethro.

"You know what I mean Jethro!" Jenny yelled.

"Maybe I should close the door first." Jethro said with a smile.

"Good idea, lock it too. Jackie's quite the spy." Jenny said with a giggle.

Jethro stood up and headed to the bathroom door. He locked it, and immediately disrobed. Much to Jenny's surprise he joined her in the massive tub. She had used the tub to distract him. She hadn't thought he'd really take her up on the offer. It made her laugh. The thought of macho Jethro Gibbs in a bubble bath. It was almost too much to comprehend, and Jenny laughed at the thought. But now here he was, stretched out beside her in the warm bubbly water.

"What's that for?" Jethro asked curiously, responding to his wife's laughter.

"You, in a lavender scented bubble-bath. If only the guys at work knew what Mr. Macho did on his own time." Jenny smiled at her husband as she said it.

"Don't you dare say a word!" Jethro exclaimed as he blew at the bubbles that surrounded him.

"Aww…Jethro, you like this don't you!" Jenny teased.

"Yes…there's only one thing I'd like better." Jethro said with a smirk.

"Maybe after we dry off." Jenny said with a coy look.

"No. Not that…well that for sure, but you know what else I'd like? I'd really like for my wife to tell me the truth. You didn't know about Ziva. You've gone soft. You're giving up more information than you should. You almost had me fooled." Jethro looked into Jenny's emerald eyes as he said it.

"What?" Jenny said feigning surprise.

"Jen, I thought for sure Ziva told you yesterday. That was until tonight in the kitchen. You told me she texted you after she spoke with me. You knew after I did. I guess I was wrong." Jethro said with a heavy sigh.

"Wrong about what?" Jenny asked as she glared at her husband.

"Oh crap." Jethro winced at his mistake. Now he was the one tripping up.

"Did somebody go dumpster diving?" Jenny asked not letting her glare up.

"No." Jethro said simply.

"Well then…I don't like what you're implying. You think I'm hiding something." Jenny's eyes were welling up with tears.

"Jen…I know you're hiding something. The test was positive wasn't it?" Jethro stared Jenny down as he said it.

Jenny only nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jethro asked, hurt that his wife hadn't shared the happy news with him.

"Because I haven't been to the doctor yet." Jenny said simply as she pretended to stare at the bubbles around her.

"Jenny, the test was positive. It's a sure bet." Jethro said with a smile.

"Not at our age and not with my medical history." Jenny replied darkly.

"Oh…" Jethro trailed off as he rested his head against the back of the tub.

"I can't even get into the doctor until next week. Apparently, there's some sort of baby-boom going on right now. Motherhood is the trendiest accessory this spring. I'm not telling anybody until I know for certain. By certain I mean a blood test from a real doctor. Not a stick I bought for ten bucks at the drug store." Jenny was in tears by the time she finished speaking.

Instinctively, Jethro wrapped an arm around his wife and kissed her tear-stained cheeks. Jenny buried her head into Jethro's shoulder.

"I just wanted to surprise you. I wanted to be sure before I said anything." Jenny cried as she explained herself to Jethro.

"It's okay. I understand." Jethro whispered quietly.

"But hey, you're sick in the morning...isn't that a good sign?" Jethro added hopefully.

"Or nerves." Jenny said as she continued to cry.

Jenny had been under a lot of stress lately. The twins were having a birthday party on Saturday, and the Spring Carnival was the following Friday. Jenny hadn't realized when she'd offer to help with the carnival that she'd be the one in charge. It was a lot of work, and although many of the mothers were helping out a lot of the responsibility rested on Jenny's shoulders.

"Jen…I just wish you had told me. Finding a box on the lawn after a dog has gone through the trash isn't exactly the best way for a man to find these things out." Jethro had told Jenny he understood but his feelings were still hurt, and his ego bruised.

"You thought it was Ziva's at first?" Jenny whispered through her tears putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Yep." Jethro said with a sigh.

"She was late for work yesterday because she was throwing up. She was late for work today because she had to get a note from her doctor. She called me this afternoon because she was worried you were mad at her and Tony." Jenny knew exactly what her husband was thinking.

"Good to know." Jethro replied. He also made a mental note to forgive any tardiness of Ziva's in the near future.

"Remember when we first started working together?" Jethro asked his wife in a soft voice.

Jenny nodded and smiled at her husband.

"What did I tell you…about instincts, and intuition?" Jethro questioned his wife.

"To always trust my instincts because they're usually right." Jenny said with a small smile.

"So stop and think for a second. What do your instincts tell you? Do you think this is the real thing, or is it stress? You know your body better than anybody else." Jethro was forcing his wife to think logically.

Jenny's tears stopped and her face broke into a wide smile.

"I think Jackie and Luke are going to have a baby brother or sister." Jenny whispered with an awed expression on her face.

"This is the first time you've really believed its true. Isn't it?" Jethro asked as he kissed his wife lightly on the shoulder.

Jenny nodded.

"Let me guess, you were scared it was too good to be true. That it couldn't have happened so fast, and you don't want anybody to worry. Most of all you didn't want to say anything once you knew about Ziva, a good friend wouldn't steal the thun…" Jethro's rambling explanation was sharply interrupted when Jenny placed her hand over his mouth.

"Jethro…I get what you're saying. I'm an idiot for being so scared, and not telling you." Jenny said it in a harsh tone.

"You're not an idiot. I'd be scared too. I just wish you had at least told me you were scared, or upset, then we could be scared or upset together." Jethro said with a smile.

"You should be very scared!" Jenny warned just as she splashed Jethro playfully.

"How dare you!" Jethro retorted.

"Paybacks are a bit…" Jethro's sentence was once again cut short, not by a perfectly manicured hand this time, but by Jenny's soft lips. She had kissed him to shut him up, and so far her plan was working well.

"Oh…we're going to be prunes." Jenny whined as Jethro extended a hand to help Jenny out of the large tub.

"Wrinkles have never been so worth it." Jethro said with a smile.

"I haven't spent this much time in the tub since before we had the kids." Jenny said with a smile as Jethro handed her a towel.

"I told you to relax." Jethro said simply as he towel-dried his hair.

"I don't take orders well." Jenny replied with a smirk as she wrapped the large towel around her.

"Please, tell me something I don't know." Jethro teased.


	12. Chapter 12

"Wow…Jenny I have to say the backyard has never been so festive." Jethro Gibbs commented on the current status of his backyard with a small smile.

In the far corner of the yard stood a massive inflatable play area that Jenny had rented for the day.

"They're going to have to burn the sugar off somehow." Jenny said.

"Mrs. Gibbs, where do you want the pony stationed?" A portly old man asked as he poked his head around a shrub.

"Next to the play area. That way the kids can go from one thing to another." Jenny said with a smile.

"Pony rides…and a play thing?" Jethro questioned his wife.

"You only turn five once." Jenny said with a smile as she headed towards the house to check on the refreshments.

"I understand that, but…" Jethro Gibbs trailed off.

Jenny turned on her heels and looked into her husband's eyes.

"Listen to me…just because I haven't worked in awhile doesn't mean I don't know how to cut a deal. Both the pony guy and the play area guy are working the carnival for free Friday night…They said they would if I paid them for five hours instead of three for this party. Plus, there's going to be a line of Milford Mommies begging for their business cards. Don't forget it's all about out-doing the other." Jenny said with a small smile.

"Just as shrewd as ever." Jethro smiled as he kissed his wife on the lips before following her back into the house.

"I can't believe you made this yourself." Abby stared at the cake sitting on the dining room table.

"I did." Jenny smiled at Abby.

"You look like a fruitcake!" DiNozzo's voice exclaimed from the front hall.

"Just wait until you have to wear one." McGee retorted.

Jenny raised an eyebrow at Abby and made her way to the kitchen. Jenny could see what all the fuss was about. Tim was carrying a swaddled Alexander in a fabric baby carrier that was strapped across Tim's shoulder and tied tightly across his waist. The pattern was a bright pink and orange paisley.

"It was on sale." Abby commented with a grin.

"Making a boy wear pink…what are you thinking Abby?" DiNozzo asked.

"He's only two months old, and like I said it was on sale, plus he needs to get in touch with his feminine side." Abby elaborated.

"At least he's not screaming." Tim added with a sigh.

"I don't forget those nights." Jenny said as she began setting up the buffet of food.

"See, it's like I've been trying to tell you Tony, it's only a matter of time." Tim said as he stuck his tongue out at Tony.

"Don't do that Uncle Tim, you're gonna get a time out!" Luke yelled as he tore through the kitchen.

"Lucas no running in the house!" Jenny scolded as Luke ran outside to admire the pony ride.

"Here she is…the pretty birthday girl." Ziva announced proudly as she carried Jackie into the kitchen.

"Nice sling." Ziva added dryly as she looked at Tim.

"I like it!" Jackie exclaimed.

"You look so pretty." Abby exclaimed as she admired Jackie's yellow dress and white sweater.

"Thanks, but I'm going to put pants on later, so I can ride the pony and go through the play thing. This is just for cake and pictures." Jackie explained happily before she crawled out of Ziva's arms and ran outside.

"Well Jenny, it sounds like you've got a diva in training." Tony said with a laugh.

"You have no idea." Jenny smiled as she placed a tray of sandwiches on the table.

"At least it's entertaining." Jethro added as he took a vegetable and dip platter out of the refrigerator.

The party was an unbelievable success. Jack had driven from Stillwater just for the party, and he had really enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. All of Jackie and Luke's friends from school had been impressed by the pony rides. So had their mothers, and Jenny couldn't wait to knock their socks off at the carnival.

"We did good." Jethro whispered as he gently picked a sleeping Jackie up off the couch and headed upstairs with her.

Jenny nodded as she bent to pick up Lucas.

"Don't you dare." Jethro cautioned his wife.

"I am fine…women do this every day." Jenny retorted.

"Not in my house!" Jethro hissed quietly with an angry expression on his face.

Jenny flopped on the couch next to her son in defeat and looked around her family room. New toys crowded the far corner. The twins had especially loved the bikes that their parent's had gotten them. Jenny couldn't wait to teach the children how to ride.

"I've got him." Jethro said as he returned downstairs and picked Luke up.

"Thank-you." Jenny said quietly.

Jenny fell into bed that night, happy but exhausted. The birthday party had been so much fun and she couldn't wait for the carnival. All day Jenny had bounced around keeping her guests happy, and she had heard the rumors. Bits and pieces of whispered conversation among the Milford mothers, and even a sly comment from Abby. Everybody suspected she was pregnant, but rumors weren't enough. Her doctor's appointment on Tuesday couldn't come fast enough.

**The Following Tuesday**

"So are you ready?" Jethro asked as he held Jenny's hand tightly.

"Yep." Jenny replied quickly.

Jethro nodded at the middle aged nurse who stood ready to draw Jenny's blood. No matter how sick she had been, needles were one thing she never got used to. The nurse was so kind though. She had Jenny's blood work done quickly. As a joke she had even offered Jenny a piece of hard candy as a reward for her cooperation.

"I'm fine." Jenny said as Jethro squeezed her hand.

The nurse exited the exam room and closed the door behind her.

"Now what?" Jethro asked as he stood next to Jenny who was sitting on the exam table wearing an incredibly ugly gown.

"We wait." Jenny said with a smile.

"Don't know why we're even here. It's pretty much a sure bet." Jethro said with a wide smile.

"We're here because it's the responsible, mature, and healthy thing to do." Jenny said as she leaned in to hug Jethro.

She caught a whiff of his cologne, and it turned her stomach. She hadn't had that experience before.

"Just one favor Jethro." Jenny said dryly.

"Anything for my love." Jethro replied.

"Ditch the cologne. It's making me sick." Jenny said just as the doctor made her way into the room.

"Has it been that long already?" Jenny asked with a small smile.

"It has, and I must say, congratulations are in order." The doctor smiled as she said it.

Jethro immediately hugged Jenny tightly. He didn't care if his cologne bothered her. He was going to hug his wife. This was some of the best news he'd ever heard.

"Yay!" Jenny exclaimed.

"According to what I've figured out you should be expecting baby number three sometime around October eighteenth." The doctor explained.

"That's great!" Jethro exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh…Ziva and I have the same due date!" Jenny said with a squeal as she clapped her hands together.

"Is Ziva a friend of yours?" The doctor asked confused.

"Yes…apparently there's something going around my husband's office." Jenny said jokingly.

Alexander was two months old, and Ziva and Jenny would be having their children very close together. It was no surprise that Team Gibbs did everything in unison.

Jenny was so happy she only half-listened as the doctor droned on about vitamins, and fitness, and all the other precautions she should take. Jenny had been pregnant once before. She knew all about eating right, exercising, resting, and regular doctor's visits. Jenny was happy to know that her age wasn't going to complicate anything, unlike she had originally thought.

"So how does it feel, to know that it's real?" Jethro asked as Jenny buckled her seatbelt and he started the engine to the car.

"Amazing! I can't wait to tell the kids." Jenny said with a smile.

"Daddy is picking us up too?" Jackie smiled as she handed her father her pink backpack.

"We're all going out for a very special lunch." Jenny said as she buttoned Jackie's sweater.

"Daddy only drops off, he never picks up." Luke said as he reached for his father's hand.

"Today is different." Jenny said simply.

"I guess so." Jackie said as she followed her parents to the car.

"Daddy and I have a surprise." Jenny told her children as they waited for the food to arrive at the restaurant.

"Are we finally going to Disney World?" Jackie asked as she colored her menu with the crayons the waitress had provided.

"Not really. You are going to be a big sister, and Luke is going to be a big brother." Jenny said with a smile.

"Yay!" Jackie and Luke squealed in one voice.

"Cool huh?" Jethro asked his children.

"Very cool daddy!" Luke squealed as he held up his hand so Jenny could high-five him from across the table.

Jenny extended a hand and high-fived her son.

"Mommy…can we pick the baby up after lunch?" Luke asked his mother in a serious voice.

"I don't understand Luke…what do you mean?" Jenny was slightly confused by her son's request.

"Well when mommies have babies they go away for a night and they pick the baby up. When the mommy and the baby come back the mommy isn't fat anymore." Luke explained.

"Luke…who told you that?" Jethro asked.

"Joey, he said that's what happened when his mommy had Sierra." Luke explained happily.

Jethro eyed his wife. He knew that it was time to proceed cautiously. There were certain things that a five-year old just didn't need to know. Where babies really came from was at the top of that list. At least in Jethro's book.

"I'd love to pick the baby up after lunch, but Luke I think you forgot something." Jenny said as she smiled at her son.

"What?" Luke asked wide-eyed.

"Mommy's not fat yet. I have to spend a lot of time eating before we can pick the baby up." Jenny blushed as she said it.

Jenny felt bad lying to her children but Jethro's look had said it all. Lie and lie quickly. Jenny had always been good at the quick, simple, and plausible lies. She was always specific enough to not get trapped. She was hoping that her children would buy into this lie just like every other little white lie she had told over the past few years.

"How much do you have to eat?" Jackie asked.

"Well it's not about how much; it's more like how long." Jethro replied.

"How long then?" Jackie asked.

"Until it's time to pick out Halloween costumes." Jenny replied as she looked at her precious son and daughter.

"Wow…" Jackie and Luke replied in one voice.

It had taken awhile but Jenny had gotten used to them answering in one voice, completing each other's sentences, or answering for another.

The family enjoyed their lunch at the diner, and the conversation revolved around the newest member of the family.

"I'm going to be so happy when mommy picks the baby up." Luke said as Jenny tucked him in later that evening.

"Me too." Jackie said sleepily as she pulled her comforter over her head.

"I know." Jenny said as she blew her son a kiss and headed out of the room the twins shared.


	13. Chapter 13

"All right ladies…this is how it's going to work." Jenny Gibbs directed a room full of mothers.

It was the night before the Spring Carnival at Milford Academy and Jenny was instructing her team of helpers on just how things were going to work out.

"You've all been given your assignments. I've typed a master schedule for each booth. We're here to work not socialize, so please be nice to everybody, but keep the talking to a minimum, unless you're on your break. There is a special food table in the back of the kitchen just for helpers. Get your food there; I have a feeling the lines are going to be long. I will be making the rounds to each booth throughout the night, checking in, and correcting any problems."

"Yes Shelly?" Jenny asked as a tiny blond woman raised her hand.

"How do we get a hold of you if we need you before you check in?" Shelly asked.

"Glad you asked. I went to the electronics store this morning and bought walkie-talkies. Each station gets a walkie-talkie…I'll keep one on my belt the entire time, that way if you need change, or an extra break. I can fill in quickly. Nobody is to leave their partner alone. Its two people to a station for a reason. Got it?"

Jenny stood back and she had a roomful of mothers slowly nodding their heads. Shelly raised her hand again.

"Yes Shelly?" Jenny said as she sighed.

"Can we make up cool names for over the radio…it would be like being a spy!" Shelly exclaimed.

"I guess." Jenny heaved a sigh as she said it. When would people realize that being a spy was never as fun as it looked on television?

"If you do pick code names though I need a master list by tomorrow at three." Jenny said as she folded her arms over her chest.

The room of mothers erupted into laughter at Jenny's request.

"I'm dead serious. If I don't know who you are how can I communicate with you?" Jenny said with a menacing expression.

"Sure you are!" Shelly exclaimed through a giggle.

"Well then…I'll pick my name first. I'll be the red fox." Jenny said slyly.

The laughter stopped as Jenny turned to the chalkboard behind her and wrote the words "Red Fox" in her curly handwriting. Every mother in the room knew why Jenny had chosen the name.

"Girls, relax, if my husband gets to be a silver-haired fox then why can't I be the red-fox?" Jenny said as she faced the group and a small smile turned the corners of her mouth.

Jenny had heard the whispers. The jokes the mothers thought were private. Jenny thought it was endearing at first, but after awhile it had gotten old. The moms all agreed that for an older man Jethro Gibbs was hot stuff. It didn't help that at every school function they had been to Jenny had caught at least one mother staring at her husband. As far as she was concerned she was the only one who had the right to stare at her husband's ass. And what a perfect ass it was.

"Jenny…the gym is all finished." As if on cue Jethro Gibbs appeared in the doorway of the classroom.

Jenny finished her thoughts about her husband's perfect body and nodded at him.

"I'll be down for inspection in five minutes." Jenny said as she smiled at Jethro.

Jethro disappeared and headed back towards the gym. Plenty of other fathers had helped out with the manual labor involved in setting up the gym. He'd rather socialize with them than be stuck in a room full of women staring at him like he was a piece of meat.

"Wow…Jenny you really know how to get people to listen don't you?" Shelly commented

"It just takes practice." Jenny said simply as she turned towards the mothers.

"We're expecting a big crowd tomorrow. Please, don't forget to wear the t-shirts I ordered for you. And girls, if you're serious about those names, you're on your own." Jenny said with a smile as she left the classroom and headed towards the gym.

"It looks awesome!" Jenny said as she stood in the gymnasium and surveyed her surroundings.

"Let's give these guys a hand!" Jenny exclaimed as a group of mothers formed behind her.

With Jenny's guidance the women began to clap for their husbands who had turned the boring gym into a colorful playground for the kids. The carnival was for the whole elementary school and Jenny had carefully selected games that would please a broad age range. The applause died down and Jenny surveyed every booth.

"Everything is where it should be. Good work, now go home and get some rest everybody. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." Jenny said to the group that was standing in a semi-circle around her.

The group dispersed and Jenny and Jethro were left behind in the gym.

"It always amazes me just how organized you are." Jethro said as he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist and kissed her cheek.

"I have to be. Our life would be a disaster without it." Jenny said as she squeezed Jethro's hand.

"It would be. I'm so thankful I have you." Jethro said as he broke their embrace.

"I'm going to let the custodian know we're done for the night so he can lock-up." Jethro said as he tossed the car keys to Jenny.

"I'll get the car started." Jenny replied.

"Ice cream?" Jethro said as he got in the passenger side of the SUV.

"Sure." Jenny said.

Lately Jenny hadn't been turning down anything when it came to food. She was constantly ravenous with the exception of the early morning hours. It was quite the balance. Getting the kids ready for school without them knowing she was getting sick. By lunchtime her stomach pains were forgotten, and she wanted to eat everything in sight. Her second pregnancy was a far cry from the constant sickness that had plagued her with the twins.

"You've been craving something sweet all day haven't you?" Jethro observed as Jenny finished off her immense brownie sundae.

"Something like that." Jenny replied as she sauntered over to the garbage can and threw away her empty bowl.

"I must say…I like this side of you." Jethro said as Jenny returned to the picnic table outside the ice cream parlor.

"What, the compulsive overeating side?" Jenny said with a laugh as she stole a lick off of Jethro's ice cream cone.

"Nope…the really happy side." Jethro said with a smile.

"I'll show you happy." Jenny said with a wink.

"Did I forget to mention how much I love this new amorous phase you're going through?" Jethro added with a wink.

"Did I forget to mention that you better enjoy it while it lasts? God only knows what my hormones will want to do next week or the week afterwards." Jenny leaned into her husband and snuggled against Jethro's shoulder as she said it.

Lately Jenny's interest in Jethro had skyrocketed. He hadn't recalled her being so passionate, or loving since their days in Paris. Jethro didn't mind though. The nights were long, especially when they had to wake up with the twins in the morning, but to Jethro the pain of sleeplessness was cancelled out by the intensely amazing private moments he and his wife shared.

"I can't believe you're not tired at all." Jethro wondered aloud.

"I sneak in a nap with the kids. It's my secret, well at least it was." Jenny said with a smile.

Jethro polished off his ice cream cone and whispered in his wife's ear.

"Let's see if I can wear you out tonight." Jethro's grin was wicked as he stood up and headed towards the SUV, with Jenny practically running behind him.

"Well…I don't know about wearing me out per se, but I am very, very, very happy." Jenny said with a smile as she fell back onto the soft sheets of the bed she shared with Jethro.

"Good." Jethro said as he kissed his wife and turned out the light on the bedside table.


	14. Chapter 14

Jenny rolled over in bed and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Eight-fifteen. That meant she had slept in, which she never did, and oh wait…that also meant that she was running behind. The twins were going to be late for school. Still dazed and sleepy Jenny got out of bed and ran to wake the twins up. They weren't in their beds. Just as Jenny's panic reached a fever pitch she noticed that their backpacks were gone, and that their beds had been neatly made.

Jenny headed back to the bedroom to grab her cell phone when she saw the note on the pillow next to hers. Without her reading glasses Jenny struggled to read her husband's writing. "Day off, took kids to school, be home with coffee soon, sleep in please, Love Jethro." Jenny smiled at the note and left it on the pillow as she collapsed back into bed. Her stomach hurt, and she was hoping to sleep off the morning sickness.

A half-hour later Jenny heard Jethro return. She lay in bed hoping he'd come up to see her. Jenny could smell him before she saw him. It was the unmistakable scent of coffee. "_He must have avoided the cologne_." Jenny thought to herself as she sat up in bed.

"Here you go…and yes it's decaf." Jethro said as he handed his wife a large paper cup and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Thanks." Jenny replied as she sipped the steaming concoction.

Jenny stopped mid-sip. Something was off with her coffee.

"Jethro…this isn't…" Jenny trailed off before Jethro placed a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder.

"It isn't the usual vanilla latte I know. Stacey swears by this though. It won't upset your stomach. It's a lot of milk with just a little decaf espresso, and the tiniest bit of vanilla syrup. I thought it might make you happy." Jethro smiled at his wife as he said it.

"It does. That and the lack of cologne. I appreciate it." Jenny said as she sipped her specially made latte.

"Anything for you." Jethro said as he aimlessly ran a hand through Jenny's messy red hair.

"I must look frightful." Jenny said as she set her coffee down.

"You look just fine. A bit pale but other than that incredibly beautiful." Jethro kissed Jenny on the lisp as he finished his sentence.

"Thank-you." Jenny was appreciative of the sincere compliment.

"So…how's my daughter?" Jethro said with a laugh as he ran a hand down to Jenny's stomach and rested it there.

"Jethro…how can you be so sure it's a girl…our baby doesn't even know what it's going to be yet!" Jenny exclaimed with a laugh.

"Trust me…five wives, two daughters, and a few girlfriends…I know women." Jethro smirked as he said it.

"Oh good Lord. Here we go again." Jenny replied with a laugh.

"I'm telling you…it's got to be a girl. I have this gut feeling." Jethro added.

"Oh, and here we go with the gut, and instinct." Jenny trailed off as she picked up her drink and chugged it.

"I wouldn't finish that just yet if I were you." Jethro said as he gently took the cup from Jenny's hand.

"Why?" Jenny said as she looked at Jethro.

The instant Jenny questioned him she regretted it. Her stomach was churning and that awful, but familiar feeling returned. Jenny broke free of her husband's embrace and ran for the bathroom. Jethro was hot on her heels, and as Jenny crouched next to the toilet Jethro instinctively pulled her hair out of her face and placed a strong hand on her back to steady her. Jethro could do nothing other than comfort his wife as she got sick.

"All done?" Jethro teased as he rubbed Jenny's back slowly.

"Not for another two weeks…at least by my count." Jenny retorted weakly as she flushed.

Jethro immediately headed to the sink and loaded Jenny's toothbrush up with toothpaste. Jenny stood up and gratefully accepted the toothbrush.

"At least it's better than it was with the twins…that wasn't what I'd call morning sickness; it was more like all day, and all night." Jethro reminisced as he stood in the doorway of the bathroom as Jenny brushed her teeth.

"I need something to eat." Jenny said as she rinsed her toothbrush.

"Get dressed, I'll make oatmeal." Jethro said as he disappeared from the doorway and headed downstairs.

Jenny threw on her bathrobe and slippers and headed downstairs. Jethro was busy preparing oatmeal. He placed a bowl in front of her and handed Jenny a spoon. Cautiously, Jenny tasted the lumpy mixture.

"Jethro Gibbs, This is the worst oatmeal I've ever tasted! I knew you were a terrible cook but I never thought you'd screw up instant oatmeal!" Jenny exclaimed.

"It's not supposed to be that lumpy?" Jethro asked as he inspected the oatmeal he had served his wife.

"No." Jenny said quietly as she stood up and scraped the oatmeal into the garbage disposal.

"You can't starve." Jethro said as he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms.

"Can you make toast?" Jenny asked blithely.

"I guess." Jethro said as he reached for the breadbox and procured a loaf of bread.

"You guess? I'll just do it." Jenny said impatiently.

"Sit." Jethro directed his wife.

Jenny made her way back to the table and patiently waited for her toast.

"You're going to be running your ass off tonight." Jethro added as he placed two perfectly toasted pieces of bread in front of Jenny.

"Much better." Jenny mumbled through a bite of toast.

"Thank God for Ducky." Jenny said as she slowly sipped her latte.

"Yep. I must say that I love driving the Morgan." Jenny added.

"I know you do." Jethro said with a smile.

"We could take the Challenger." Jenny said with a wink.

"Not with all those high-school kids crawling around. That's like asking for it to be stolen." Jethro said as he sat down at the table across from his wife.

"True, but just think if they steal your car they're stealing the personal property of a Federal Agent, which is bad, bad news for them." Jenny winked as she said it.

"This is true." Jethro said with a sigh as he smiled at Jenny.

"We should probably take two cars anyhow." Jenny said logically.

"Ducky's coming over here at three. I already have macaroni and cheese ready for the kids. All he has to do is heat it up, then we can leave for the school. Ducky's going to bring the kids around seven, and he'll have the SUV, don't forget to leave a set of keys for him." Jenny explained.

Jethro pulled his keys out of his pocket and set them on the table.

"There, I can't forget now." Jethro said with a smile.

"Just because your hair is gray, doesn't mean you're forgetful." Jenny said with a laugh.

"You look hot." Jethro commented as Jenny made her way downstairs. The twins were napping after school and they were just waiting for Ducky to arrive.

"I'm wearing a Milford Mommies t-shirt and jeans." Jenny said with a glare.

"Your make-up and hair look good." Jethro added undeterred by Jenny's comment.

"Thanks." Jenny said with a smile.

"I think that you forget sometimes you look better in your Milford shirt and jeans than most of the other moms." Jethro said with a smirk.

"Jethro Gibbs, are you trying to get into my pants?" Jenny teased as she grabbed lemonade from the refrigerator.

"And your t-shirt." Jethro added with a smile as he produced two glasses from the cupboard and handed them to Jenny.

"Maybe later…if we don't fall asleep in our tracks first." Jenny said with a smile as she handed her husband a glass of lemonade. Jenny was anticipating a long and busy evening.

Jethro set his glass of lemonade down and gently pressed Jenny up against the kitchen counter. He leaned in and kissed her passionately. Jenny closed her eyes and gave into the sweetness of her husband's kiss. Jenny ran a gentle hand through Jethro's silver hair. Finally, they surfaced for air.

"That's just a preview." Jethro said with a wink.

Jenny looked up and saw Ducky standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the front hall.

"Hi Duck." Jenny said as she glanced at the tiled floor. She couldn't even look Ducky in the eye.

"I am awfully sorry for the intrusion. I would have knocked, or stomped my feet at the very least, but I do realize it is naptime for the young ones." Ducky's face was bright red as he tried to explain his surprise entrance.

"Ducky it's quite all right." Jenny said as she sipped her lemonade.

She needed to concentrate on anything but her husband. The trouble was Jethro Gibbs was a hard man to forget. Jenny shouldn't have been embarrassed, it was only Ducky after all, but Jenny's cheeks burned at the thought of Ducky standing there watching them kiss.

"How long were you standing there Duck?" Jethro asked with a smile.

"Jethro, if you'll pardon the forwardness of my opinion I must say I agree with you. Jenny, you should be happy that you look better than most women half your age." Ducky said sweetly.

"Not for long." Jenny said dryly as she finished her lemonade.

Ducky cocked his head to the side at the comment. His eyes fixated on Jenny, then Jethro and finally the older man's face lit up like a light bulb.

"When should we expect baby number three?" Ducky asked as he removed his coat.

"October eighteenth." Jenny and Jethro said at the same time.

"Congratulations!" Ducky exclaimed as he made his way over to Jenny and kissed her on the cheek and hugged her tightly.

"Thank-you." Jenny said as she hugged Ducky back.

"Duck…the twins know, but we're not exactly telling the team yet. I don't want to steal Ziva and Tony's thunder." Jenny explained.

"I understand completely." Ducky said as he pretended to zip his lips.

"How are you feeling my dear?" Ducky asked with concern.

"I'm miserable in the morning, but by noon I'm ravenous. If I sneak in a short nap I have a lot more energy than I thought I would. It's the complete opposite of what it was like to be pregnant with twins" Jenny said with a smile.

"Well, that's good to hear." Ducky said with a grin.

"Thanks for helping us!" Jenny exclaimed as she and Jethro headed out the door.

Ducky waved from the window in the front hall, and headed back into the family room. He was just waiting for the twins to wake up.

"So one car or two?" Jenny asked as she headed towards the Morgan.

"Two. Let's give them something to talk about." Jethro said with a knowing grin.

"Anything besides your ass." Jenny said with a smile.

"Or yours." Jethro said as he headed towards the garage to start the Challenger.

Jenny blushed at the comment. She had known the mothers had ogled her husband like a piece of meat, but it had never occurred to Jenny that the fathers talked about her as well. That was until Jethro had overheard a conversation in the men's room during intermission at the Christmas play. One father had been incredibly crude in describing Jenny's looks, and Jethro had stopped just short of breaking the man's wrist. He hadn't told Jenny that part of course.

Jenny and Jethro were the first to arrive at the school and Jenny busily began organizing the change she had picked up from the bank. Jenny was planning for the biggest and best carnival in Milford history, and she had stayed extremely organized during the planning process.

"Jenny?" Her friend Shelly's voice said quietly.

"Oh hi Shelly!" Jenny said happily as she counted money.

"I just wanted to check in, and the moms wanted me to deliver this." Shelly explained as she handed Jenny a piece of paper.

Jenny read the paper and chuckled to herself. The mothers had taken her seriously. It was a list of their real names, and their code names for the walkie-talkies. Jenny laughed as she read the list. "Hot Mama" "Sugar Cookie" and "Fever" were some of the monikers listed.

"Very creative." Jenny said as she folded the list and put it in her back pocket.

"I'm going to head to the kitchen now and start setting up the food." Shelly said as she turned and headed towards the cafeteria.

"Grab a radio. I pre-programmed them all to the same frequency." Jenny explained.

Shelly gave Jenny a strange look as she picked up a radio and disappeared into the cafeteria.

The next two hours were a blur as volunteers began arriving and checking in with Jenny. Jenny handed everybody their nametag and radio. So far everybody had remembered to wear the t-shirts Jenny had purchased.

"How's it going?" Jethro asked as he poked his head into the classroom where Jenny had set up the command center.

"Great…so far." Jenny said as she sat down.

"You need anything?" Jethro asked with a smile.

"Nope." Jenny said as Jethro disappeared.

By seven-thirty the carnival was packed and Jenny was running around like a crazy person. "_Thank goodness for volunteers_." She thought to herself.

"Mommy!" Jackie screamed as she ran across the gym and hugged her mom.

"Hi honey!" Jenny said as she bent down to hug Jackie.

"Mom!" Luke yelled as Ducky ran after the young boy.

"Hi Luke!" Jenny said as Luke wrapped himself around Jenny's legs.

"Mom…Ducky took us to Happy Burger House for dinner it was awesome!" Luke blurted out.

"Luke…it was supposed to be a secret!" Jackie scolded her brother.

Jenny glanced at Ducky.

"My treat…and my apologies." Ducky said as he sighed and stared at his shoes.

"Don't worry Ducky, we have lunch for tomorrow then." Jenny said with a smile.

"Jackie, Luke don't forget to listen to Ducky…I don't want to hear a bad report." Jenny said as she began to walk away.

"We'll behave!" Jackie exclaimed as her mother headed over to the ring-toss game to check in.

"How we doing Sugar Cookie?" Jenny said with a giggle as she stood inside the ring-toss booth.

"Good Jen." One of the women replied.

"I'll tell you what…getting the high school kids to volunteer for their community service hours, what a genius idea. You're so organized! I wish I had your skills!" The one mother who was going by the code name of "Mini-Van Mama" gushed.

"Oh it's really nothing." Jenny said with a wave of her hands. She was reminiscing about her days as Director. Running a fund-raiser seemed a lot easier than running an entire Federal Agency.

"Well, since I'm here why don't you take a break?" Jenny directed the woman.

"Sounds great." She replied

Jenny immediately stepped up and began collecting tickets from the children who were eagerly awaiting their chance at ring-toss.

"Mrs. Gibbs!" A small but happy voice exclaimed from the line. Jenny looked down to see Hayley Myers standing in line.

Hayley and Jackie had become fast friends, and thus Shelly and Jenny had become friends almost by default. Hayley was holding the hand of a muscular, dark-haired man with piercing brown eyes. He looked so familiar. Jenny knew those eyes from somewhere. She just didn't know where.

"This is my daddy. He's really busy a lot, but now he's going be here all weekend." Hayley explained.

Jenny stopped to think. In all the time her children had been at Milford she had never met Hayley's father. Shelly would only say that he worked a lot. Shelly had never specified what type of work. Jenny was convinced she knew him from somewhere.

"Jennifer Gibbs, pleasure to meet you." Jenny said with a fake smile as she stuck out her hand and introduced herself to Hayley's father.

"Robert Myers." The man said as he shook Jenny's hand.

Jenny caught something in the man's gaze. She could tell that he was just as suspicious of her as she was of him. Jenny ignored her thoughts and handed Hayley the three rings. Jenny did her best to survey Robert as Hayley tossed her rings. She was almost positive he was carrying two cell phones. He was wearing a bright green polo shirt, and neatly pressed khakis.

"Good work honey!" Robert Myers congratulated his daughter. Jenny had barely realized that Hayley had won all three levels of the game.

Jenny handed a purple ticket to Hayley. Jenny explained that purple tickets could be redeemed for prizes at the prize booth.

"Mr. Gibbs will help you pick out something really nice." Jenny added as the young girl turned and looked around the gym.

"Bye Mrs. Gibbs!" Hayley waved as she and her father made their way to the bean-bag toss booth next door.

As Hayley said "Mrs. Gibbs" Jenny thought she had caught Robert Myers wincing. He had reacted to her last name.

"I'm back." The mother also known as Mini-Van Mama announced proudly as she walked into the booth.

"Great." Jenny said as she headed back to the classroom that served as home base.

Jenny was busily counting change to take to the concession stand when she felt somebody's eyes boring into her. Jenny looked up to see Robert Myers standing in the doorway of the classroom.

"May I help you?" Jenny asked sharply as she immediately went back to work.

"Jennifer Gibbs?" The man asked.

"That would be me." Jenny said dryly.

"Your husband is Jethro?" He asked cautiously.

"Indeed, and would you like to know anything else about my vital statistics?" Jenny said sarcastically.

"I can tell by your eyes. You remember me and you don't know why. I couldn't figure it out either, until just now. I took Hayley over to the prize booth. Your husband is one lucky man…no scars from the explosion." Robert explained as he stood next to the desk Jenny was sitting behind.

Jenny jerked her head up sharply. Her emerald eyes shot daggers at the man standing before her. She was either dealing with a Federal Agent or a terrorist. Jenny was willing to err on the side of decency and go with Federal Agent.

"I don't remember you as Jenny Gibbs. I remember you as NCIS Director Jennifer Sheppard." Robert elaborated.

"The night of the explosion…you were at a dinner at the White House when you got the call. Nobody could find your driver. The Secretary of State found the nearest Secret Service Agent…and I drove you to the hospital. I remember you being eerily calm the entire ride." Robert completed his sentence.

Jenny's mind flashed back to that rainy night. She had been a nervous wreck. It had taken all of her self-control and courage to contain her emotions. Jenny barely remembered being shuttled into a town car and driven to the hospital where Jethro lay in a coma.

"Just so you are aware Agent Myers we keep the Director thing pretty quiet. In fact, we keep the NCIS thing pretty quiet. My children think that their father puts people in time out for a living. I'd like it to stay that way." Jenny said as she stood up.

"I understand ma'am. Keep in mind they don't refer to us as "Secret Service" for no reason." Robert laughed at his stupid joke.

"Hayley just knows I'm really busy, and that I drive people around all day." Robert added.

"Wait a second…didn't you die in a fire?" Robert questioned.

"Sort of." Jenny said as she bit her lip.

"Well…this is interesting." Robert said as he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"It's classified." Jenny said simply, knowing that it wasn't. She didn't have to explain her past to anybody.

"Oh boy, I've heard that before." Robert said with a smile.

"You should introduce yourself to Jethro if you have a spare minute." Jenny said as she walked past Robert and headed out the door.

"I already did. Just as Hayley's father though. I didn't want to upset him, and with a crowd like this it's just not the time." Robert explained as he followed Jenny down the hallway.

"Make sure you explain it sometime. My husband loves the Secret Service." Jenny said with a smile as she recalled Jethro's affection for Kate Todd.

Jenny had wondered if Kate and Jethro had ever been anything more than partners. It was a suspicion she had pushed out of her mind shortly after Kate's funeral. That was until six months ago when she had been attempting to clean the master bedroom. Jenny had moved the bed and headboard. Wedged between the bed frame and headboard was a small silver cross with the name "Kaitlin" inscribed on the back. Jenny had dutifully dusted behind the headboard, moved the bed and placed the cross back where she had found it. Jenny could only imagine one way that Kate Todd's necklace would end up in such a spot. There was no sense in re-living the past.

"Do you remember Kate Todd?" Jenny asked as they headed towards the concession stand.

Robert swallowed hard. His brown eyes stared at Jenny. His face was void of any expression.

"I'll take that as a yes." Jenny said as she gently hugged Robert.

"I best be getting back to Hayley. Shelly's break is almost over." Robert said in a quiet voice.

"It was nice to meet you Robert." Jenny waved as she headed towards the concession stand.

"It was nice to meet you also…Jennifer Gibbs." Robert smiled as he said Jenny's name.

Jenny headed over to the concession stand and handed them their change. As she exited the booth Jenny ran into Jethro.

"Take a break." Jethro said as he looked into his wife's eyes.

"I'm fine." Jenny said as she moved past her husband.

"It's not optional." Jethro said as he wrapped an arm around Jenny and took the walkie-talkie that had been hanging off of her belt.

"Now go get some food." Jethro pointed in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Yes sir." Jenny said as she headed in the direction of the cafeteria.

"I finally met your husband." Jenny said as Shelly dished out a plate of rigatoni and meatballs for Jenny.

"I am so glad he has tonight off." Shelly said with a smile.

Jenny practically inhaled the food Shelly had prepared for her. Jenny was absolutely ravenous and she was secretly grateful that Jethro had forced her into a break. Jenny helped herself to seconds as Shelly gazed at Jenny wide-eyed.

"I haven't eaten much today." Jenny lied.

"I just don't know where you put it." Shelly mused as she surveyed Jenny's figure.

"Chase two kids around." Jenny explained as she cut a meatball in half.

"This is true…I just wish Robert were ready for a second child. Hayley's going to be in school all day next year, and I just don't know what to do with myself." Shelly sighed as she explained her dilemma to Jenny.

Jenny almost stopped mid-bite. This was the exact problem she and Jethro had faced.

"You can convince him…somehow." Jenny gently suggested.

"My husband doesn't intimidate easily." Shelly explained.

"There are other ways." Jenny said as she tossed her empty plate into the garbage, thanked Shelly for the food and headed back to find Jethro. Jenny hoped that Shelly would take the hint, and seduce Robert.

"It seems to be going well…so far." Jethro said as he caught up with Jenny.

"Good crowd." Jenny said as Jethro followed Jenny as she made rounds outside. The lines for the pony rides, hay rides, and the inflatable play-center were long.

"All thanks to you." Jethro said as he reached for Jenny's hand.

"I couldn't have done this without a lot of help." Jenny added.

"Well…that's true." Jethro said as he squeezed Jenny's hand.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Jackie and Luke yelled. Jenny turned around to see her children run towards her. Ducky was loaded down with stuffed animals, cotton candy, and a flower made out of balloons.

"Good night and sweet dreams!" Jackie said.

"You're leaving?" Jenny asked.

"Yep. We've been on every ride…twice, and we've played every game, plus Ducky's arms are getting full!" Jackie explained.

"Very well then. Mommy and Daddy will be home late, listen to Ducky, and go to bed when he tells you." Jenny said as she bent down to pick Luke up.

Jenny remembered how Jethro felt about her picking the children up in her current condition and she refrained, instead opting to hug and kiss her son goodnight. Jenny then hugged Jackie.

"Good night kids!" Jethro said as he picked up each child and hugged them.

"See you in the morning." Jenny said with a wave as she and Jethro headed back inside.

"I saw that." Jethro whispered.

"What?" Jenny asked nonchalantly.

"You almost picked Luke up. What did I tell you about that?" Jethro said as he placed a gentle hand on Jenny's shoulder.

"I told you that women do it every day." Jenny said with a smile.

"And what makes our family different?" Jethro pressed his wife.

"We have twins, and what one gets the other wants. So it's double the work of the average family, and we're not taking any risks because we've been lucky so far." Jenny rolled her eyes as she recounted verbatim what her husband had explained to her several times.

"You do pay attention." Jethro said with a smile as he headed back to the prize booth.

"What a mess…" Jenny stood in the empty gym. It was ten thirty. The carnival had been wildly successful, and the gymnasium was full of the litter and trash to prove it.

"I'm just glad we have a large clean-up crew." Shelly Myers commented.

"Me too." Jenny said as she kicked a streamer with the toe of her shoe.

"You'll sleep well tonight." Another mother commented as she ran a push-broom across the floor.

"For sure." Jenny said as she headed to collect the money from all the booths.

The strange thing was that Jenny didn't feel tired at all. She had energy to spare even. She could only hope that the energy would be well spent once she had her husband alone.

It was past midnight when she and Jethro finally arrived home. Ducky was stretched out on the couch, gently snoring. Jenny thanked Ducky for his help, and the doctor went on his way home. Jethro headed towards the basement, and not the bedroom, much to Jenny's disappointment.

Jenny followed her husband to the basement. He was already sanding the boat when she found the familiar rickety barstool and sat down.

"So you met Mr. Myers finally?" Jenny said as she watched Jethro work on the boat.

"I did. He's a nice guy. He works too much for a family man, but try telling that to these young kids. " Jethro said with a smirk.

"He does work a lot." Jenny mused.

"Shelly complains to you?" Jethro asked.

"Not so much complains, I just think she wishes things could be different." Jenny said simply.

"Well her husband is a businessman; he has to go where the sales are." Jethro said as he continued to sand.

"I just wish he'd keep his hands to himself." Jethro said quietly.

"Pardon?" Jenny asked.

"I saw him hug you Jenny. If it's not okay for the moms to talk about my ass then it's not okay for the fathers to hug you." Jethro said angrily as he increased the speed of his sanding.

"Maybe he hugged me for a reason." Jenny said simply.

"And what reason is that?" Jethro asked as he grabbed a piece of fresh sandpaper off the workbench next to Jenny.

"He drove me to the hospital the night of the explosion." Jenny said quietly.

The piece of sandpaper fell out of Jethro's hand and landed on the dusty floor of the basement.

"What?" Jethro asked.

"I was at a dinner at the White House. Nobody could find my driver. The Secretary of State grabbed the closest Secret Service Agent, and it just happens that it was Robert Myers. He drove me to the hospital." Jenny said with a heavy sigh.

Tears stung her eyes as she remembered that dark and rainy night. The sight of Jethro in a coma had been almost too much for her to handle. When he woke up he had thought she was a wife. Standing in the hospital room that evening Jenny had never thought she would end up as wife number five.

"So…does he know?" Jethro asked as he stood close to Jenny.

"He knows that I'm your wife, and that I used to be the Director of NCIS. I told him that we keep the Director chapter of my life closed, and he seemed to understand. I also explained that the kids think you put people in time-out for a living. They have no idea what you really do. He thinks my death and resurrection are classified. He also explained that Hayley doesn't really understand what he does for a living, and he prefers it that way." Jenny said.

"I agree with him." Jethro said simply.

"He knew Kate." Jenny whispered quietly.

Jethro raised an eyebrow as he inched closer to Jenny.

"He wouldn't talk about it either." Jenny said as she rested her back up against the workbench.

"Smart man." Jethro said as he wrapped an arm around Jenny.

"Aren't you exhausted?" Jethro questioned his wife.

"I have a surprising amount of energy left." Jenny explained as Jethro leaned into Jenny and kissed her forehead gently.

"Really?" Jethro said with a smile as he stood next to Jenny.

"Really." Jenny said with a wink.

Jenny stood up and kissed Jethro with all the passion she could muster. She had been waiting all day for some time alone with him and now she was going to seize the opportunity.

Jenny was sweaty and out of breath. Jethro's heavy and irregular breathing echoed in her ears. The sensation of him pounded through her veins.

"I can't believe…it." Jenny whispered in her husband's ear.

"We christened the boat and it hasn't even set sail yet." Jethro joked as he ran a hand down Jenny's back.

"It's surprisingly sturdy." Jenny said as she stood upright and searched for the t-shirt that had been hastily discarded on the basement floor.

"I even remembered to close the door." Jethro laughed as he buttoned his jeans.

Jenny couldn't remember things like that in the heat of passion. Thankfully, Jethro could. The last thing Jenny needed was to think of a way to explain the private moments between a husband and wife to her children. Jenny found her t-shirt and put it on. She buttoned her jeans, and noticed for the first time that they were getting hard to button.

"Uh-oh." Jenny said as she struggled to button her jeans.

"Just think, you get to go shopping." Jethro smiled as he gently took Jenny's hand in his and headed up the stairs.

"Are we decent?" Jenny asked just before Jethro opened the door.

"I am…how 'bout me?" Jethro asked.

"Good." Jenny said as she quickly glanced at her husband's appearance.

With the exception of the tousled hair the couple looked relatively put together.

Still holding Jethro's hand Jenny made her way into the kitchen.

"Lemonade?" Jenny asked as she rummaged through the fridge.

"Beer." Jethro said as he sat at the kitchen table. Just as Jenny handed Jethro a beer they were both startled by a loud crash from upstairs.

"Daddy!" Jackie wailed suddenly.

Jenny's gaze met Jethro's and instinctively they both ran upstairs.

Jenny's heart was in her throat. Somebody was in her house, and her children were sleeping peacefully, or at least they had been. Jenny rounded the corner in the hallway and saw Jethro standing in the middle of what looked like a war zone. The hallway was a mess. A large decorative vase Jenny had filled with silk flowers and placed on a small hutch was now in a thousand pieces on the floor. Pieces of fake flowers were scattered all over the hallway. Jenny motioned towards the nursery and she could already see the door was ajar. Jenny poked her head inside. She could see Lucas sleeping peacefully. How he had slept through the vase breaking was beyond Jenny's comprehension. Just as Jenny's mind began to process that Jackie's bed was empty she heard Jethro yelling from the playroom.

"Jen!" Jethro shouted.

Jenny bolted from the nursery and headed to the playroom. Jackie was curled up and sleeping in the corner on a bean bag chair. Toys, books, and the comforter from Jackie's bed were strewn across the floor. The playroom had been clean when Jenny had left earlier in the afternoon.

"Didn't she just yell for us?" Jenny said with confusion.

"We've got a sleepwalker." Jethro said as he walked over the bean bag chair and gently picked up a sleeping Jackie. The young girl didn't even stir from her deep sleep.

"Is she hurt? Did she cut herself?" Jenny asked in a panicked voice.

"She seems fine." Jethro said as he looked over his daughter.

"Sleepwalking?" Jenny asked again after Jethro had put Jackie back in her own bed.

"Yep…Kelly used to do it all the time." Jethro said as he headed downstairs for a broom and dustpan.

Jenny stood in the hallway in surprise. She made a mental note to re-arrange anything fragile.


	15. Chapter 15

"Any ideas so far?" Ziva David asked in a tired voice.

"No decent ones." Jenny said in the same tired voice.

"Anything but Michael, Ari, or Eli." Ziva said hoping her friend could brainstorm with her.

"Anything but Diane, Ginger, Stephanie, or Hollis." Jenny said jokingly.

"So we should just name each other's kid then." Ziva said through a yawn.

"I thought I had the perfect name, until I met the baby." Ziva said with a smile as she held her newborn son.

"I thought so too, and then I met my daughter." Jenny said understanding Ziva's dilemma. Jenny cradled her newborn daughter in her arms.

"Did they finally go home to sleep?" The nurse asked as she poked her head in the door to check in on Ziva and Jenny.

"Yes." Ziva and Jenny answered in one voice.

It had been a remarkable story. Ziva and Jenny were the talk of the maternity ward at the hospital. The two women had gone into labor within minutes of each other, and their children had been born only hours apart. Ziva and Tony had welcomed their son shortly before midnight on October 18th. Jenny and Jethro had welcomed their daughter at two a.m. on October 19th. Now the two women shared a room together. Veteran nurses had stopped in to comment that they had never had best friends deliver so close together. Jethro had been right in his prediction. He had a daughter. Jethro had long ago accepted that it was his lot in life to be surrounded by women.

"Is it wrong of me to say I'm thankful that I have a moment alone with the baby?" Ziva wondered aloud.

"Nope." Jenny said as she gently stroked her baby's cheek.

"Don't feel guilty. Besides Jethro and Tony need their sleep." Jenny added as she yawned.

"I've got fresh bottles!" A nurse's aide announced happily as she brought a tray of bottles filled with formula into the room.

"Is it that time again?" Ziva asked as she glanced at the clock.

"You'll get used to the almost constant feeding." Jenny announced proudly as she took a warm bottle from the nurse's aide and began to feed her daughter.

"We're going to send the babies to the nursery after you're done feeding them. The doctor wants you two to get some sleep." The nurse's aide directed as she handed Ziva a bottle.

"Fine by me." Jenny said as she quietly held her daughter.

"The twins will be so excited." Ziva said happily.

"Oh yes they will. I'm just glad that we decided to wait until we bring the baby home." Jenny said as she yawned.

Jenny and Jethro had decided that bringing the twins to the hospital, and explaining everything was going to be more effort than it was worth, and they'd have to wait until the baby and Jenny came home to meet their sister.

A half-hour later the charge nurse came and took the babies, and Jenny and Ziva both fell asleep, thankful for some rest. Jenny's labor had been easy compared to what she had endured with the twins. Six hours of labor was a lot easier to handle than an entire day of labor. Ziva's labor had been relatively uncomplicated, although the young woman was anxious because she wasn't sure what to expect.

"Good morning." Jethro Gibbs said proudly as he lifted Jenny's hand off the bed and kissed it gently.

"Morning?" Jenny asked confused.

"Yes, it's morning…you got a whole night's sleep uninterrupted…congratulations." Jethor smiled.

"Who fed the baby?" Jenny asked still groggy.

"That's what they have nurses for." Jethro said as he pushed Jenny's bangs off of her forehead.

"Oh…nursery…right…did you sleep well?" Jenny asked.

"Once I put the twins to bed." Jethro said happily.

"Good…are they excited?" Jenny said as she sat up in bed.

"Very." Jethro said as he sat on the edge of Jenny's bed.

"Good morning Tony." Jenny said as she saw Tony standing next to Ziva's bed.

"Good morning Jenny. The nurses said you both got a good night's sleep?" Tony questioned the nurses' report because he couldn't understand how anybody could possibly get decent sleep in a hospital.

"We did." Ziva said thankful for the last decent night of sleep she'd have in months.

"Get some breakfast." Jethro directed his wife as he placed the menu in front of Jenny.

"Yep…breakfast, and order seconds for me." Tony joked a s he followed his boss's lead and handed Ziva the menu.

"After breakfast we can talk names." Jethro said with a grin.

"Fine." Jenny said dryly as she picked up the phone and dialed the extension so she could order her breakfast.

Jenny was at a complete mental standstill when it came to names. She was hoping to continue the proud tradition of J and L for her daughter. Nothing seemed to sound right though.

"Are you sure?" The charge nurse asked for the second time as she repeated the name back to Jenny and Jethro.

"Yes." Jenny said confidently and Jethro nodded yes and smiled. He was holding their little girl.

"So Jacinda Layne Gibbs it is." The charge nurse said as she filled out the form for the birth certificate.

"And on to the next happy couple." The nurse said as she eyed Tony and Ziva.

"Aaron Zane DiNozzo." Tony said confidently as he held his young son.

"Well, that was quicker than I thought." The nurse said with surprise.

"It wasn't that hard…once we figured out that if these two over here can keep recycling J and L names, then we can do the whole A to Z thing." Tony smirked as he nodded towards Jenny and Jethro.

"I don't get it." The nurse said as she filled out the forms for Aaron's birth certificate.

"Okay, it's simple, just follow what I'm saying." Tony said as he eyed the nurse.

"They all have J and L names in their family. My name is Anthony, her name is Ziva…therefore our baby's name is Aaron Zane…like A to Z. We have this whole theme thing going on." Tony said proudly.

"Hi!" Abby screamed as she ran into the room.

"Abby…quiet voice please, we've got little ears here." Jenny pointed to the babies as she said it.

Jenny then noticed that Alexander was sleeping soundly in his carrier. He was almost a year old already, and it was hard for Jenny to comprehend how quickly time passed.

"Where's Tim?" Jenny asked absentmindedly.

"At work…apparently he's the only one who didn't call in sick today…" Abby said as she eyed the occupants of the room suspiciously.

"Right." Jenny said. Suddenly, McGee's absence made sense.

"I can't stay long either, I still have to drop Alex off at the sitter's and the Labby awaits!" Abby exclaimed as she set the carrier down on the floor.

Abby got the chance to hold both of the babies, before she had to leave on account of being dangerously late for work.

Two days later Jenny and baby Jacinda headed home. Jenny was thrilled for the twins to meet their new sister.

"Mommy's home!" Jackie squealed as Jenny made her way into the front door carrying Jacinda.

"And the new baby!" Luke added.

Ducky followed the twins into the kitchen and greeted Jenny and Jethro. Ducky proudly held the new baby, and explained to the twins that new babies were fun, but they required a gentle touch.

"Like breakable things." Jackie said plainly.

Ducky only nodded.

"I'm going to head out." Ducky said as he handed the baby to Jenny.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Jenny asked cautiously. She had become increasingly concerned that Ducky would be lonely.

"No thank you. I'm meeting a friend of mine from Scotland Yard, who is in town only a few days." Ducky explained.

"I love the middle name by the way." Ducky said with a wink.

"We had to honor her somehow Duck. Everybody needs a name worth remembering." Jethro said as he followed Ducky out to his car.

"Jethro, it is so good to see you smile." Ducky said as he opened the door to his Morgan.

"I have plenty of reasons to smile." Jethro said truthfully.

"And thank you for thinking of mother so kindly." Ducky said as he tipped his hat and got into his car.

Jethro hadn't been sure of Jenny's suggestion at first. Layne had been Mrs. Mallard's maiden name. When the elderly woman had passed away in July Jethro had immediately suggested naming the baby after her. Jenny couldn't imagine naming a baby Victoria, or Victor if it had been a boy. Jenny had liked Abby's idea of using Sciuto as Alexander's middle name, and Jenny thought about Layne as a middle name for either a boy or a girl.

Ducky sped off in his Morgan and Jethro Gibbs headed back into the house to admire his family.

The twins were infatuated by their new sister, and at the dinner table Jackie proudly declared "I love her a lot!" In a happy voice.

"She smells funny but I love her too!" Luke added.

Jenny sniffed cautiously. Dinner would not stop a newborn from needing a diaper change that much was clear.

"I'll get it." Jethro said with a smile as he took Jacinda from Jenny and headed upstairs to change the baby.

Jenny was silently thankful that she had convinced Jethro an addition was the only way they could stay in their current house. It had cost an arm and a leg to get the work done quickly, but the twins had been moved out of their nursery into two separate bedrooms. Jacinda would stay in the nursery, and the twins had their own rooms. The playroom would forever and always be the messy room that never stayed clean. When she was frustrated by the mess Jenny would simply close the door and ignore it. Growing up her children would all have their own rooms, and they would avoid the fights that came with siblings sharing space. For that Jenny was glad that she and Jethro had spared no expense.


	16. Chapter 16

***FIVE YEARS LATER***

"We got a feature! We got a feature!" Jackie Gibbs screamed as she exited the dance studio waving a piece of blue paper in her father's face. Jacinda was running after Jackie.

"Great!" Jethro Gibbs exclaimed as he hugged Jackie.

Jacinda was hot on Jackie's heels and she hugged her father's leg tightly.

"Let's go home and have some lunch." Jethro directed as he picked Jacinda up and headed towards the car.

Jackie had continued dancing long after her Kinder Dance lessons. Her friend Hayley had decided to dance too, and it was something fun the girls shared together. Once Jacinda had realized Jackie was dancing she had begged for lessons also. The Gibb's house was constantly busy. Two girls going to dance and piano lessons, with Luke alternating between Karate and football depending on the season.

"I can't wait to tell mom!" Jackie exclaimed as she got in the car and buckled her seatbelt.

"She is going to be so happy." Jethro said as he eyed his young daughter.

Sometimes it was hard to believe that Jackie and Luke were eleven, and Jacinda was already five.

"So features are a big deal?" Jethro Gibbs joked with his daughters as they headed for home. Jethro knew that nobody got a feature number in a dance recital unless they were exceptional.

"More than a big deal! Just read this paper Miss Lindsay sent home with us." Jackie said as she handed her father the paper.

"Driving." Jethro reminded his daughter.

"Oh yeah…sorry." Jackie said with a small smirk.

"What's a feature?" Jacinda asked from the backseat.

"It's not quite a solo, but it's not quite a group number. You and I will be the only dancers on stage." Jackie explained to her little sister.

"Yay!" Jacinda said as she clapped her hands.

Jenny Gibbs was busy preparing grilled cheese sandwiches when her husband and daughters bounded through the front door.

"Mom…we got a feature…you're going to love it!" Jackie said as she handed her mom the blue piece of paper.

Jenny reached for her reading glasses that were sitting on the counter and read the form carefully. Three things stuck out in Jenny's mind immediately. The letter had explained that features required a lot of work, extra practice, and much to Jenny's chagrin a more expensive costume.

"Girls, this is a lot of extra practice, responsibility, and hard work. Are you ready for something like this?" Jenny asked her daughters as they stood before her in the kitchen.

The two girls looked at each other and nodded slowly, their red curls bobbing.

"Now go get changed, Luke's on his way home from Karate, and lunch is almost ready." Jenny instructed the girls.

"Are you going to sign it?" Jenny asked her husband.

"You can." Jethro smiled as he poured a glass of milk.

Jenny signed the permission slip indicating that she approved of extra practices and the extra fees that came along with the prestige of having a featured number in a large dance recital.

"The show is the same day as my birthday! It's awesome because there's nowhere I'd rather be." Jenny said happily. Watching her daughters dance always made Jenny happy.

"Really?" Jethro said with a smile. He was pretending not to notice the date.

"This is a big one for you." Jethro said wickedly.

"Don't remind me." Jenny said as she flipped the grilled cheese sandwiches.

"You're still hot." Jethro said quietly.

"So are you." Jenny said it and looked around cautiously. The children were nowhere in sight, and Jenny quickly swatted Jethro's backside.

"Save it for later, its Saturday after all." Jethro whispered in Jenny's ear.

Jenny and Jethro had discovered years ago that if they were extremely quiet they could usually sneak in an extra-curricular activity on Saturday night after the kids were in bed. The system worked well, and it had become a private joke among the couple.

"Thanks for the ride!" Luke yelled as a minivan pulled out of the driveway.

"The Karate carpool has arrived." Jenny said as she turned the stove off.

Luke barely stopped to say hi to his parents before he headed upstairs to change. It was Saturday which meant grilled cheese, which also happened to be Luke's favorite sandwich.

***THREE MONTHS LATER***

"You look good Jen." Jethro said in a whisper as Jenny eyed her reflection in the floor-length mirror of their bedroom.

"Thanks." Jenny said accepting the compliment.

Today was her birthday. The big one, the scary one that she had dreaded. It hadn't been as bad as she'd originally thought. It was just a number after all.

Jenny was wearing a tight green dress. A small row of sequins adorned the neckline and Jenny was planning on taking a wrap with her. The theater was always chilly.

"You look good too, but don't you think a tux is overkill?" Jenny asked as she grabbed her clutch purse off the dresser.

"Jackie and Jacinda love when I wear this." Jethro said with a smile.

"And so does Jenny." Jenny said with a smile as she headed past her husband.

"Luke!" Jenny yelled.

"I'm right here mom." Luke yelled from the landing.

Much to Jenny's surprise Luke was wearing his tuxedo and his hair was slicked back.

"You look like your father." Jenny said as smiled at her son.

"That's the point." Luke said as he headed downstairs.

The girls had been dropped off at the theater hours before, and Jenny couldn't wait to see them perform.

"Let's roll." Jethro Gibbs said with a smile as made his way downstairs.

It was a beautiful June evening and the drive to the theater at Waverly College was short. Jenny and Jethro quickly found their seats. Jenny had reserved an entire row as soon as tickets had gone on sale. Aaron DiNozzo and Alex McGee were taking tumbling classes, and they had a group number early in the show. Tony, Ziva, Abby, Tim, Ducky, Jethro, Luke, and Jack Gibbs were all going to enjoy the show together.

The lights in the auditorium dimmed just as Jenny settled herself into her seat. That was the cue that the show would begin shortly. Jenny had forgotten to grab a program, but she'd find one later. Jenny glanced around her. Nobody seemed to have a program.

The show began first with the little kids, mostly tumblers and tap dancers. Alex and Aaron were like two little jumping beans during their number, running and tumbling to the hip-hop music that played in the background. In the darkened theater Jenny could see the proud smiles on Abby and Ziva's faces as they watched their children.

The lights flickered and stayed on, signaling intermission.

"You need anything?" Jethro asked as he stood up.

"I'm fine." Jenny said as she sat in her seat.

"I have to use the head." Jethro whispered discreetly.

"Me too." Luke piped up and followed his father.

Jenny was getting impatient. The house lights had dimmed for the second time, signaling the end of intermission. Jethro and Luke were nowhere in sight. Just as the lights stayed off Tony tapped Jenny's shoulder. He handed his phone to Jenny. It was a text message from Luke.

"Line in bathroom long…we'll watch the first number from the lobby then find our seats." Jenny read the message and handed the phone back to Tony, happy that her son had remembered the theater etiquette she had taught him.

The theater remained dark and the curtain opened to a darkened stage. In the shadows Jenny could see a grand piano. The lights over the stage flickered on. No music started and the audience looked antsy. From stage left Jenny saw Jackie enter in her pink leotard and white tutu, adorned with rhinestones. Her shimmering red hair was in a tight bun, and her Pointe shoes were tied perfectly. Jackie made her way to the piano. Jackie peered at the keys, and looked at the audience cautiously. It was all part of the act. Jackie sat down and began to play Chopin. Jenny was slightly confused. This didn't seem like the right kind of feature. Miss Lindsay had never said anything about playing the piano.

Jenny watched as her daughter played. The next thing she knew Jacinda made her way onto the stage in an outfit that matched Jackie's with the exception of the Pointe shoes. Jacinda tapped Jackie on the shoulder. Abruptly, Jackie stopped playing and glared at the little girl. Jacinda giggled, and the audience laughed at the spectacle. Jacinda jokingly shoved Jackie off the bench. Jacinda immediately began to play "London Bridge is Falling Down." Jackie stood behind her sister and watched her play for a few moments before sitting on the bench with her. Together the girls began to play a complicated piece Jenny had never heard.

Jenny smiled. Suddenly, Jethro appeared on the stage in his tuxedo. Jenny was in absolute shock as her husband stood next to the piano and glanced at his watch casually as if he were waiting for his turn. Jackie looked up at her father and stopped playing. She picked Jacinda up off the bench and stood in front of the piano. Jenny's jaw almost hit the floor as Jethro sat down at the piano and began playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. As Jethro began to play the girls started dancing. They were perfectly in sync with each other. The only difference in their movements was that Jackie was completely on Pointe, while Jacinda danced normally.

As the dance continued Jacinda moved to the center of the stage and began dancing alone. Jackie re-entered the stage held high above her brother's head in a complicated, but elegant lift. Lucas gently set Jackie down and began dancing with her. Jacinda disappeared and returned holding hands with Alex and Aaron. The younger boys had changed out of their tumbling leotards into tuxedos. Together the five children danced as Jethro continued to play the piano. When the number was over the children held hands and danced off stage in a long line. The entire auditorium was on their feet and applauding loudly. Jenny had tears in her eyes as she stood up and whistled and clapped. Jethro bowed to the audience and ran off stage after the group of children. The piano was quickly rolled away in anticipation of the next performance

"Now I can show you this." Ducky said as he handed Jenny a program.

The entire group had conspired to hide their programs from her until after the group's number was over. The crowd settled down and got back into their seats as the music for the next number began. Jenny looked at the program. Ducky had one page folded back, and Jenny stared at a picture of the group that had just been onstage. They were in costume, and smiling. The caption on the picture read "Happy Birthday Jenny, love everybody on Team Gibbs." Jenny had tears streaming down her face as she admired the professional portrait.

"Thank-you." Jenny whispered quietly as she pretended to watch the performance that was underway.

"You're most welcome." Ducky whispered.

The number ended and Jethro and Luke quickly made their way back to their seats. Jenny gripped her husband's hand tightly as he sat down next to her.

"Thank-you." She whispered.

"Happy Birthday." Jethro whispered back.

After the show was over the entire group headed over to Ducky's for cake and ice cream. Jethro had added that small surprise for Jenny. He had figured that after a long night of sitting still during a dance recital everybody could use some sugar.

"Thank-you all for the best birthday ever! I guess it wasn't as scary as I thought." Jenny said with a laugh after she blew the candles out.

"It's only a number." Abby reminded Jenny.

"I know, and I got the best present…ever." Jenny said as she glanced at her children.

"The only thing I can't figure out, how did you keep this a secret…and when did you all find the time?" Jenny asked with confusion.

"All those nights of paperwork Jethro had to complete at the office always seemed to fall on dance night…" Ziva said in a quiet voice.

Jenny's mind drifted over the past three months. Ziva was right. Every night that Jethro had to work late had been the same night that the girls had to go to dance class.

"And the boys?" Jenny asked looking at Luke.

"Sometimes it's okay to skip karate." Luke said as he shoved a piece of cake into his mouth.

"But how did you keep their mouths shut?" Jenny asked still confused.

"Bribery." Tim and Tony said in one voice.

"Really?" Jenny said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep…we owe Aaron a few new toys." Tony said as he scratched his head.

"We owe Alex a new mp3 player." Tim added.

"McNerd Jr." Tony said.

Jethro happened to be walking by and he smacked Tony on the back of the head.

"Well everybody…thanks again!" Jenny said as she and her family headed home for the evening.

"Showers, and bed." Jenny directed her children.

"Fine by me." Jackie said in a tired voice. In addition to her feature she had been in three other numbers, and she looked tired.

An hour and a half later all three kids were in bed and Jenny and Jethro were alone in their bedroom Jenny had taken the time to shut and lock the door behind her.

"I love that dress. It looks amazing on you." Jethro smiled as he loosened his bowtie.

"It looks amazing on a hanger too." Jenny said provocatively.

"Or on the floor in a heap next to my tux." Jethro said as he stood behind Jenny and wrapped his arms around her slim waist.

"Either way." Jenny said as she slipped out of her heels.

"It's ladies choice." Jethro whispered quietly in Jenny's ear.

"Well then…I want a backrub first." Jenny teased as she led her husband to their bed.


	17. Chapter 17

"He's in the basement waiting for you." Jenny said simply.

"How long has he been down there?" Jethro asked gruffly.

"Long enough to do his homework." Jenny said simply as she stirred a pan of marinara sauce.

"I'll be back." Jethro said as he headed down to the basement.

He couldn't believe that his twins were fifteen already. That meant that Jacinda was ten, and that meant that Jethro was getting older by the day. It had been just shy of three p.m. when Jethro had gotten a frantic phone call from Jenny. Luke had been in a terrible fist-fight at school and the principal had called Jenny at home. Luke was suspended for three days, he might get kicked off the football team, and other parents might be pressing charges. Hopefully, Jethro could get them to see that it had all been a misunderstanding.

"Talk before I force it out of you." Jethro commanded his only son as he stood in the basement. Jethro knew very well that he wouldn't have to force anything out of his son. Lucas Jasper Gibbs always told the full truth.

Luke was sitting on a rickety barstool facing the workbench. Tools had been shoved out of the way to make space for homework.

"Dad you would have done the same thing." Luke said in a quiet voice.

"I don't fight unless I have to." Jethro said fiercely as he stood next to his son.

"I don't pay tuition at Milford so you can go and box all day." Jethro added harshly.

"Dad, you told me to always do what's right. I just couldn't listen to the guys in the locker room talk like that anymore." Luke said as he looked into his father's eyes.

"So this happened before football practice?" Jethro asked.

Lucas nodded.

"What did they say?" Jethro asked.

"Dad it was disgusting, I won't repeat it." Luke said.

"I work with Uncle Tony I hear the most disgusting things all day." Jethro said with a small smile.

"They were talking about girls dad." Luke said as he stared at the workbench.

"Boys always talk about girls in the locker room, its part of life. Now I know that your mother and I have taught you to use manners around girls, and always treat them with respect, but keep in mind not everybody acts like that. A lot of men are pigs when it comes to women. Especially boys your age." Jethro explained to his naive son.

"Dad, it doesn't really bother me when the boys talk about which actress is prettiest, or who looked really good at the dance Friday night, but it really bothers me when they talk about Jacqueline…and mom." Luke heaved a sigh as he added the last part.

"What?" Jethro questioned his son.

Jethro attempted to remain calm, but his blood was boiling.

"Dad, they were saying the most awful things. I know it's not true, because I know Jackie better than that, but it still upsets me. Then when Aaron Carling had the guts to actually say something to my face I got really mad and punched him. The next thing I knew Aaron was holding his nose, and there was blood everywhere. A bunch of other guys piled on top of me, and I punched my way out." Luke explained.

"What did he say?" Jethro asked.

"I'm not repeating it." Luke said firmly.

"Do you want to keep playing football?" Jethro threatened his son.

"Dad, it's gross." Luke said with a serious expression on his face.

"I can handle it." Jethro said truthfully.

"Aaron said that if mom was ten years younger and Jackie was five years older he'd love to see what it'd be like to meet the Gibbs girls in the middle. He also had to call mom a filthy name. I'm sure you know which one I mean." Luke said as he clenched his fists.

"Does it begin with the letter "m?" Jethro whispered in a low voice.

Lucas nodded.

"And it's got three other letters, all together they spell out one dirty phrase?" Jethro added.

Lucas nodded again.

"I'm proud of you." Jethro said as he patted his son on the back and headed upstairs.

Luke Gibbs sat staring at the workbench in a daze. That had gone better than he had thought. Now all he had to do was survive three days at home with his mother, and pray that he'd be allowed to keep playing football.

"Jethro, what's the verdict?" Jenny asked as her husband returned to the kitchen.

"The boy did the right thing." Jethro said simply.

"You've got to be kidding me. I knew you'd take his side." Jenny said as she strained spaghetti noodles.

"Jen, you don't understand, he didn't fight for the sake of fighting." Jethro tried to explain.

"So is it true?" Jackie asked as she burst through the front door carrying an armful of books.

"Is what true?" Jenny and Jethro asked in one voice.

"That Luke broke Aaron Carling's nose?" Jackie asked with a small smile.

"It's true." Jenny said as she forced herself to pay attention to making dinner.

"Wow…I guess everybody was right!" Jackie said as she took her phone out of her pocket and began texting furiously.

"Jackie…leave it alone, or you won't have your phone for a week." Jethro said as he peered over his daughter's shoulder to see what she was writing.

"So it's all true then?" Jackie added.

"What have you heard?" Jethro asked.

"That Luke only did it because Aaron was being gross about me and mom." Jackie said simply.

Jenny stopped what she was doing and shot a dirty look at her husband.

"Yeah mom… I can't believe Luke didn't tell you. Apparently Aaron would like one of us to be five years older and the other one to be ten years younger…you can figure out who's who." Jackie said sarcastically.

"Jacqueline…room... now!" Jenny said sternly as she pointed in the direction of the upstairs.

"Gosh, I was just trying to help." Jackie said as she grabbed her books.

"Your mother and I have this under control." Jethro said in a calm voice as Jackie turned to leave the kitchen.

"Whatever." Jackie replied in a sassy tone.

"Jen, your son was sticking up for you and Jackie." Jethro said as soon as Jackie was out of earshot.

"I don't understand." Jenny said as she placed a large salad on the kitchen table.

"The guys in the locker room went beyond the usual chatter and got pretty gross. There were some names being used and Luke didn't like what they had to say, especially about you or Jackie, so he punched the kid." Jethro explained it so neatly.

"If only it were that simple." Jenny said as she continued to set the table.

"I hope he's still allowed to play football." Jenny said with a sigh.

"I hope the Carling's don't press charges." Jethro added.

Dinner in the Gibbs house was eerily silent that night. The only family member who said anything was Jacinda. The younger girl was blissfully unaware of what had transpired with her brother. Jenny didn't know what to say to her son. She didn't want to give the impression that it was okay to fight, and she didn't want him to think that he shouldn't stand up for his beliefs either. Luke had put her between a rock and a hard place. Jackie stared at her father for most of dinner. He had already taken her phone as a precaution, and she wasn't getting it back until things had calmed down.

"Jackie, go play with Jacinda on the swing set." Jenny directed her daughter.

Jackie rolled her eyes, but reached for her sister's hand anyway. Jackie wanted her phone back and she was going to do whatever she had to in order to earn it back.

"You have to speak to him eventually." Jethro said as he helped Jenny clean up after dinner.

"I don't know what to say. He's really put us in an awkward position." Jenny said dryly.

"Then tell him that, but for God's sake quit with the silent treatment. He was trying to do the right thing." Jethro said in a tense voice.

"I've never been one to advocate fighting either…but those boys were being filthy!" Jethro said in an angry voice when he was sure Jacinda and Jackie couldn't hear him.

"Lucas!" Jenny yelled as she loaded the dishwasher with soap.

Lucas bounded down the stairs and stood in the kitchen.

"Your father told me what really happened. We just need to know that you understand fighting doesn't always fix things, and it should be a last resort only." Jenny said dryly.

"I understand. I have to say that if it had been any other girl I would have been fighting mad too. I don't care about hearing who's pretty, or who has a nice sweater, but come on…they were just being gross. There are some things that are supposed to be left to the imagination." Luke recalled what his father had told him regarding girls.

"I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself and your beliefs. Your father already called the principal. We're going to meet with him first thing tomorrow morning. Hopefully, you'll still be able to play football." Jenny said honestly.

"All I care about is getting back into Milford." Luke said honestly as he turned and left the kitchen.

"Well all we can do is wait." Jethro said as he headed outside to spend time with Jacinda.


	18. Chapter 18

"I'm so freakin' bored." Jackie whispered to her twin brother.

"Tell me about it…" Luke whispered back.

It was their study hall and the twins were in the library. Luke's homework was all caught up, mostly because he had been suspended for three days. Luke had the feeling Jackie had something to do, but she would wait until the last minute like usual.

"I have an idea…Hayley taught me a cool trick." Jackie whispered to her brother.

"What?" Luke asked as Jackie began clicking around on the computer .

"Have you ever Super-Searched yourself?" Jackie whispered.

"No…why would I do that?" Luke asked.

"Sometimes it's funny. There's a British singer named Hayley Myers, and Hayley had no idea until she Super-Searched her own name yesterday.

"Okay." Luke said as he peered over the monitor his sister was working on.

Jackie typed in her full name. Nothing exciting came up, and she was disappointed. The same thing happened with Luke.

"So much for excitement." Luke whispered dryly.

"Let's try dad!" Jackie said with a sly grin.

"You know better…he's like a ghost…there's going to be nothing." Luke tried to dissuade his sister.

Hurriedly Jackie typed her father's full name into the search engine. Jackie scanned the results. Nothing exciting, until she stumbled upon a video clip from an old news broadcast. Her father was gruff with the reporters and cut the interview short.

"No wonder why he hates TV." Jackie whispered.

"I can't believe it…he's gray, but not completely. Dad actually had decent looking hair at one point." Luke chuckled.

"Let's try mom!" Jackie said excitedly.

"Yes…because there's going to something exciting about a former secretary turned housewife." Luke said as Jackie ignored him and typed Jennifer Lynn Gibbs into the search engine.

"I hate you sometimes." Jackie whispered dryly as the search returned no results.

"Aren't you forgetting something…she wasn't always a Gibbs." Luke said with a small smile.

Jackie typed Jennifer Sheppard into the search engine and waited…and waited.

"Why's it taking so long?" Jackie asked just as the search engine returned over a thousand results.

"I think we have our answer." Luke said as he pointed to the screen.

"Jennifer Sheppard…former NCIS Director?" Jackie questioned the search engine.

"Maybe it's another Jenny Sheppard…do an image search." Luke suggested quietly.

"Oh…My…God!" Jackie whispered loudly as an official looking portrait of their mother in a business suit appeared on the screen.

"Wait…what's that?" Luke pointed to something underneath the photo.

"Deceased?" Jackie whispered as she looked at her brother wide-eyed.

"Mom has her secrets!" Luke announced proudly.

"But why?" Jackie asked unsatisfied with what the internet had to say about her mother.


	19. Chapter 19

"Thanks Ducky." Jenny Gibbs hung up the phone and busied herself with folding laundry.

She couldn't believe what Ducky had just told her. In a way Jenny knew it would happen. Eventually, someday, but that day had arrived sooner than Jenny had thought. Her twins knew who she was…well who she had been. Jenny could only hope that she'd be able to explain herself.

"Hey honey!" Jethro's voice called out from the kitchen.

"How was work?" Jenny asked as Jethro appeared in the family room.

"Work." Jethro replied honestly.

"Well…Ducky just called. Apparently the twins Super-Searched us on the internet at school today." Jenny said as she looked up at her husband.

"Yeah…so?" Jethro asked not understanding the point Jenny was trying to make.

"They know that I was Director of NCIS." Jenny said as she continued to fold clothes.

"Oh my God." Jethro said with a frown.

"Well…we kept it a secret for fifteen years. How much more could we ask for?" Jenny said as Jethro sat down next to her on the couch.

"How exactly is Ducky involved?" Jethro asked as he picked up a pair of jeans and began to fold them.

"The kids got out of school and went right over to Ducky's…Jackie figured out that he'd be the one to pump for information. She and Luke confronted Ducky and all he would tell the kids was that they needed to talk to you and me. So Ducky is sending the twins home, and picking Jacinda up. She's too young to know. I don't want her to know all about our past just yet." Jenny said succinctly.

"How much are you going to tell them?" Jethro asked.

"Whatever they want to know." Jenny said simply.

"I don't think that's wise." Jethro said as he looked at his wife.

"God Jethro, of course I'm going to leave out the long nights." Jenny said dryly as she finished folding the last piece of laundry.

"I would certainly hope so." Jethro said.

"Where's Jacinda?" Jethro asked.

"Playing with Maggie next door." Jenny said plainly.

An hour later Ducky arrived in his Morgan, with the twins. Jenny had explained to Jacinda that Ducky would take her out for ice cream, while Jenny and Jethro spent some time talking to the twins.

"Is Luke in trouble again?" The inquisitive ten -year old asked her mother.

"Yes." Jenny said simply.

Of course Luke wasn't in trouble but Jenny was more than willing to let Jacinda think that's why they were staying home while Jacinda got to hang out with Ducky. The moment the Morgan sped out of the driveway Jackie began talking hurriedly.

"So what was it like…running an entire agency?" She asked as she eyed her mother suspiciously.

"We'll talk about it in the house. " Jenny replied as she led her children and husband back into the house.

"Sit." Jenny directed the twins as she pointed to the kitchen table.

Everybody, Jethro included followed Jenny's direction and sat.

"Okay…so it's clear I have some explaining to do." Jenny said.

"Mom…its okay we get it really, we're just curious why the internet thinks you're dead." Luke said simply as he stared at the table top.

"Speak for yourself Luke, I want to know everything." Jackie said as she glared at her mother.

"Well…I think the best way to do this is to start from the beginning." Jenny looked at Jethro as she said it and he nodded in agreement.

"I joined NCIS in 1997. Your father was the agent who was responsible for training me. We worked together for years. Without warning I was suddenly promoted in 2005. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. Director of the entire Agency. I worked as Director until 2008. I had been sick for about a year and nobody knew what was wrong with me. It was a rare neurological disorder. I could have died. That was until Ducky found a doctor for me in Japan. It was all planned. I was going to resign from NCIS, and live in Japan while I was being treated. Life had another surprise for me. An undercover operation from a decade earlier came back to haunt me. There were people that wanted to kill me, and your father. The Agency helped me fake my death. I headed to Japan, received treatment that ultimately saved my life, and two years later I returned to Washington. Your poor father had no clue until I walked down those basement stairs that I was alive. It was painful to leave him the way I did, but I had to in order to save his life and mine. When I was in Japan I lived under a false name, and when I came back here I became Jenny Gibbs soon enough." Jenny looked at her children's faces as she finished talking.

Two blank faces stared back at their mother. Jenny knew exactly what her twins were doing. They were communicating with one another in their own silent way.

"This sounds more like a movie instead of real life." Jackie finally said quietly.

"I've told you everything. I wanted to be truthful with the both of you. My only request is that you not tell Jacinda. She's only ten and I think she's way too young to know." Jenny said as she looked at Jackie.

"I agree." Jethro finally spoke up.

"Of course we won't tell Jacinda." Luke said honestly.

"Just one question. If you and dad met in 1997 why did you wait so long to get married?" Luke added.

Jenny looked at Jethro, and Jenny arched an eyebrow.

"Since we're on the subject of the past, there's something I need to tell you kids. Your mom isn't my first marriage…she's my fourth." Jethro said it quietly.

Jenny glared at her husband. He had left Shannon out of the count. "_He must have his reasons_." Jenny thought to herself. Jackie leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. She squinted at her father. This was a night of secrets and surprises.

"What?" Luke said quietly.

"I'm not proud of it by any means." Jethro said quietly.

"When I met your mom, I was married, not happily, but married nonetheless. I decided that I had to honor the vows I had made to my wife at the time. Needless to say, spending time with your mother wasn't an option. I divorced my wife at the time and your mom and I dated…for a bit. She got shipped off to Europe, and I stayed here. It just seemed so impractical at the time. Your mom spent years working in Europe and then Egypt. I tried to comfort myself with two other wives. That approach didn't work so well." Jethro sighed as he spilled the ugly truth.

"So you were married and divorced three times?" Jackie asked dumbfounded.

"Yes." Jethro said plainly. He didn't dare look at Jenny.

"Do we have any half siblings?" Luke asked hoping there might be another boy in the family somewhere.

"Unfortunately, no. I can honestly say that I wasn't with any one wife long enough to have a baby." Jethro said as he got up from the table. He was still avoiding Jenny's glare.

"Well…this is a bit umm…surprising to say the least." Jackie said as she looked at her father.

"Yeah." Luke added quietly.

"Kids…we know this is a lot to handle at once, but at least we were honest with you. We've never lied to you about anything; we've just never supplied the whole truth." Jenny added.

"Well, that's reassuring." Jackie said blithely.

"I'm just saying that we could have lied, and we didn't. Honesty is a two-way street. If you kids have any questions, or something bothers you, you need to tell me and your father right away. If we're all honest with each other it's going to make life a lot easier." Jenny said it as she stared at her husband. Jethro wasn't meeting her gaze and she knew exactly why.

"So these people that tried to kill you…" Luke trailed off.

"They're long gone, and we have nothing to worry about." Jethro explained to his son.

"Good to know." Luke said as he half-smiled at his dad.

"Once again, just to re-iterate my point, this is family business. It's not something that everybody needs to know, and when your father and I think she's ready we'll tell Jacinda the truth." Jenny added.

"We understand." The twins said in one voice as they looked at each other.

"Good." Jenny said with a smile.

Later that evening Ducky had dropped Jacinda off after a trip to the ice cream parlor, and Jenny had informed Ducky of everything she and Jethro had told the twins. Ducky smiled when Jenny explained that the twins had received the condensed version.

As they got ready for bed Jenny finally broke the silence.

"Four wives?" She said quietly as she slipped a nightgown on.

"Yes." Jethro said as he turned down the covers on the bed and shot Jenny a dirty look.

"Are you ever going to tell them?" Jenny asked.

"When I think they're ready." Jethro said as he crawled into bed.

"More like when you're ready." Jenny said as she climbed into bed.

"That works too." Jethro said as he pulled his worn Bible out of the drawer on his nightstand.

"Whatever. You know how I feel about it, and I'm smart enough to know some things never change." Jenny said as she cuddled up next to her husband.

"Someday Jenny, Someday." Jethro said as he flipped the Bible open and began reading aloud.


	20. Chapter 20

***THREE YEARS LATER***

"I can't believe it." Abby said as tears stung her eyes.

"It's the same thing they did to Ducky, now they're doing it to you." Abby added as she stood next to Gibbs.

"Abby, it has to happen sometime…it's the job." Jethro Gibbs wrapped the forensic scientist into a hug and gently rubbed her shoulders.

"Hey boss…I heard the news. Congratulations!" Tony DiNozzo was smiling as he walked into Abby's lab.

"I'm not so happy about it." Jethro growled as he broke his embrace with Abby.

"Comes with the territory." DiNozzo said plainly.

"Once you hit the magic number and then some, there's no turning back. Those are the rules." Tony said with a smile.

"So today is it then?" Tony said as he eyed a still crying Abby.

"Yep, my last day before retirement." Gibbs said plainly.

It had happened three weeks ago. Director Vance had called Gibbs in for a special meeting. Gibbs knew what was coming, but it didn't make the news any easier to hear. Jethro Gibbs had to retire. He had worked to his maximum age limit, and he would be saying goodbye to NCIS. The same thing had happened to Ducky two years prior. The only difference was that Ducky had worked decades longer because he had avoided the physical strain of fieldwork, whereas Jethro had been out and about every single day of his career.

"So what are you going to do with all your free time?" McGee asked as he entered the lab with Ziva trailing behind him.

"I have three kids." Jethro said plainly.

"Yeah, but they are older." Tony added without thinking.

"I don't know if you missed the announcement, but I also build boats." Jethro said plainly.

"Jenny is going to have her hands full." Ziva said knowing that her boss would be a force to reckon with when so much of his time was un-structured.

"She's my wife not my baby-sitter Agent David." Jethro said as he picked up his coffee cup off of the table in Abby's lab.

"Tell her that." Ziva said with a giggle.

"Oh I will." Gibbs said as he sipped his coffee.

"I just want to say that I've already discussed this with Director Vance, Tony this is your team now. But I swear if I hear about you bullying anybody I'll make a special visit to the bull pen just to shove my boot up your ass." Gibbs smiled as he threw his empty coffee cup in the trashcan and walked out of the lab. On the way out he left his badge, NCIS ID, and pistol on Tony's desk. The team made their way from the lab just to see the silver elevator doors close on Leroy Jethro Gibbs one last time.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just thought this would be a sweet way to end the story. Thanks for all of the awesome reviews! I will be working on the last story in the trilogy. It's going to follow the lives of the Gibbs children as adults. It will be entitled "In Their Footsteps" I hope to have the first chapter up sometime later in the week. Just a sneak peek, Lucas is a Marine, Jackie works for NCIS, and Jacinda works for the ATF. Jenny and Gibb's pasts will come back to haunt not them, but their children.


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